


The Dog Days of Summer

by chibi_nightowl



Category: Batman (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Eventual Romance, Language, M/M, Magic, Pre-Flashpoint (DCU)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-02 20:32:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10952205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibi_nightowl/pseuds/chibi_nightowl
Summary: "Tim?" Jason asks cautiously. It's possibly the first time he has ever used his replacement's first name. Out loud at least. Or where he could hear him.Another whine and the big black dog opens an eye, gazing warily up at Jason."Okay, you're awake. Not exactly sure what the protocol is here but if you know you're Tim Drake, whine twice for me."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I should be working on Milestones. But two people egged me on after the last Coffee House chapter. GoAwayOlivia, because she'll never tell me WTF are you doing. And Janna, because you had to mention Tim developing a petting kink once he's back to normal. o_O
> 
> You're both welcome.
> 
> M for a reason. Eventually.

 

It's hot. And humid. The night air is thick with the redolent stench of rotting garbage and a scent that's uniquely _Gotham_ as it waits with baited breath for the promise of the summer storm that's about to let loose its fury over the city. On nights like these, the city itself feels _alive_ , like it’s daring Mother Nature herself to try and wash away the stains of its many sins.  
  
Tim hates this kind of night. The anticipation of something waiting to happen gets under his skin, putting him on edge. There’s an adrenaline rush, yes, and one he’ll never get tired of, but as the night wears on and nothing happens, it leaves him feeling worn down. He’s already looking forward to when he can peel away the layers of his uniform and step into the shower, washing away his own sins and the visible reminders of a long night on patrol. The sharp sting of the water beating down on his shoulders is the closest to a massage he’ll ever get (not like he can go to one, not with his scars).  
  
Some nights are better than others, he'll admit in the quiet corners of his mind, but tonight is not one of them.   
  
Next to him, Jason crouches on the edge of the roof and peers down into the dark alley below. Their current cases had overlapped the night before and, begrudgingly on both their parts, they'd joined forces. Neither man is comfortable working with the other (too much history, almost all of it bad) though Tim still gets a small thrill from working with his favorite Robin.   
  
It's quickly squashed, usually after Jason opens his mouth to start with the usual stream of insults. His are different than Damian's, who typically attacks his intelligence and worth to the family. Jason insults for the sake of it and often with obscure literary references that he won't puzzle out until hours later.   
  
He loves the mental challenge but would prefer if they weren't peppered with random physical assaults on his person (non-lethal these days, but enough to keep him on his toes).   
  
Tim takes a small amount of consolation in the fact that the lethal assaults stopped around the time Dick replaced him as Robin. Jason's never come out and said it, but he suspects it appealed to his sense of irony. The Replacement's been replaced and all that.   
  
Still, they do manage to get the job done on the rare occasions they team up. It's never done the way Bruce would expect or want and often involves an explosion, but Tim can appreciate creative thinking, especially since Jason takes thinking outside the box to a whole new level. And there’s nothing wrong with a good explosion every now and then.  
  
"There's someone down there," Jason says quietly, tapping something on the side of his helmet. "He's showing up on my infrared."  
  
"I wonder if he'd like some company," Tim grins viciously. They're after a scumbag who's been using a switchblade to randomly slash and maim his victims. There is no rhyme or reason to the attacks but the majority of those who’ve been sliced live along Tim's designated patrol route. The guy started wandering into the Bowery recently though and had attracted Jason's attention as well. They'd finally gotten a bead on his location tonight and were ready to take him down.   
  
Tim suspects their target is unhinged, in more ways than one. Here’s yet another person who will get to call Arkham home.   
  
"Box him in?" Jason suggests.   
  
"Works for me. I'll take the left."   
  
The Red Hood nods and jogs off to the right, going further down the roof and over to the next building.   
  
Tim does the same and waits until he hears Jason telling him he's in position before descending into the alley below.   
  
The stench almost makes him gag when his feet hit the pavement. For a moment, he wishes he had Jason's helmet with its now wonderful and desirable filters. "I think this is what the Bog of Eternal Stench smells like," Tim mutters, knowing Jason will pick it up over their comm channel.   
  
The other man chuckles quietly, the sound unfiltered through the line. "Sometimes it's easy to forget what a dork you are under that cowl."  
  
"You got the reference. Pot meet kettle."  
  
"At least I'm not the one wearing skintight clothing, Replacement. I'm not revealing to the world what I'm packin’."   
  
Tim rolls his eyes and bites back his retort about wearing a cup _like they all do_.  
  
The sound of something (someone) shuffling around echoes down the alley. Tim approaches cautiously. Yes, he's mostly covered, but just enough of his face is open under his cowl that a careless slice would leave him needing stitches, along with a number of questions he'd rather not answer when going out in public. Heaven forbid something happen to Tim Drake-Wayne’s still boyish good looks (he can’t wait for that description to disappear; he’s almost twenty, hardly the age to still be called a boy).  
  
It would also be cannon fodder for Jason, which is the last thing he needs.   
  
He taps the side of his cowl, turning his lenses to the starlight lenses Bruce developed for their masks. Between this and the infrared Jason's using, no one is sneaking past them.   
  
A deep, dark chuckle echoes in Tim's ears, both through the comm and from further down the alley. In another time and place, he could find himself _wanting_ to seek out the owner of that voice, to chase after them, and drag them down onto his bed, writhing around as two warm bodies become one on cool cotton sheets. He suppresses a shudder of desire as he forces himself to focus on the here and now (fantasies are for later, when he’s alone and in bed).

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Jason taunts, giving away his position on purpose.   
  
Tim wants to strangle the other man and grinds his teeth to bite back another retort as the shuffling gets louder. A short, lean figure lurches into view from the shelter of a cardboard box. "No, no, no," a young sounding voice says as he staggers towards Tim.   
  
The voice is too young to match the description of the man they're searching for. Crap.  
  
Tim holds out his hands in warning as the slight figure approaches him. "Hey there," he tries to say calmly but the person jumps back with a startled shout.   
  
"No! Stay away! I can't control it!"   
  
Jason chooses that moment to lumber into view, the weak light in the alley gleaming on his red helmet. 

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Tim tries again but the figure (the child?) screams and twists around, charging right at him.

He raises his hands as he tries to pass by in the narrow alley. "Don't touch me! I can't stop it!"   
  
The warning comes too late as Tim reaches out and grabs the kid's arm, trying to slow him down and pull him into a loose a hold where he can't hurt him or himself. A blaze of white light ripples up the kid's arm from his hand, washing over Tim.   
  
He's blinded as the light is too much for his lenses to cope with and he reels back with a gasp, letting go of the child. A moment later, a burning sensation covers his entire body and he collapses to the ground, trying futilely to remove his gloves. Above him, around him, Tim hears Jason shouting and the kid crying but then everything blurs together as a roaring sound replaces it all.   
  
Tim gasps, sucking in a deep breath and tries to tell Jason not to hurt the kid, that he's not who they're looking for. But all that comes out is a howl that's abruptly cut short as he loses consciousness.   
  
*****

Jason stares in shock at the kid struggling with the Replacement. It's certainly not their intended target for the night and he curses to himself about the bad information he'd beaten out of an informant earlier. That guy is on his shit list now, make no mistake.   
  
He taps off the infrared on the helmet just before the light the kid emits washes over Drake like a wave crashing into the shore. Red Robin lets him go and drops like a stone to the fetid ground beneath him, scrambling around in obvious pain and tearing at his uniform.   
  
"What the hell did you do to him, kid?" Jason shouts angrily. That's _his_ Replacement. He's the only one who gets to cause him pain. Yes, he's aware he's strangely possessive of the younger man. If he didn't despise him so much he'd probably like him, the annoying little shit.  
  
The kid screams and Jason's suddenly made aware of just how _young_ he (she?) is. He can't tell in the dark with the raggedy clothes and shaggy hair.   
  
"I'm not gonna hurt you, kiddo. I'm the Red Hood. That guy down there," he points to the twitching Tim, "is Red Robin. We’re not after you. We thought you were someone else.”  
  
The cowering child shudders as Tim lets out a howl that no human throat should be able to make. Jason's head whips around to look down at his Replacement. "What the fuck?" he gasps.   
  
The shape on the ground isn't right.   
  
"I'm sorry," the kid whimpers. "I can't control it." He backs away and before Jason can catch him, he darts off into the night.   
  
"Oh, for fuck's sake," he mutters as his one and only clue as to what the hell is going on disappears.   
  
Feeling exceptionally put out, Jason kneels next to the Replacement and pulls back his cowl. It's dark so he can't make out all the details, but the last time he checked, Tim Drake did not have a snout. Or fur. Or dog ears.   
  
"Holy shit." Jason tears at Tim's uniform, trying to see just how complete the transformation is. Before long, he's got what he judges is 75 pounds of pure canine passed out in his lap.   
  
He looks at the dog. It's decision time and while he will normally choose the route that pisses off Bruce the most, he knows he needs to do the responsible thing and that's get Tim home. There's no telling what's going on in the dog's head or if Tim is even in there. And while he's no fan of the Replacement, leaving him like this is not an option. 

The Joker, he could. And shoot him to put him down because Joker in canine form is bound to have rabies. He’d be doing society a favor (he still would be if the deranged clown ever escapes from Arkham again).  
  
"You little shit," he mutters as he gathers up the scattered uniform and bundles it all in the cape. Shifting, he hoists the dog and the uniform into his arms and stands, juggling the weight easily, if not the load. "You're gonna owe me _big time_ for this."  
  
In the sky above, there's a flash of lightning followed by a loud crack of thunder. Moments later, it starts raining in a rapid torrent. Jason looks up, glad for his helmet as he glares at the sky. "Really?" he asks rhetorically. "Like I don't have enough shit to deal with right now."   
  
Shifting his grip on the still unconscious Tim, Jason walks out of the alley.  
  
By the time he makes it to Tim's renovated theater apartment, he'd come up with and discarded a dozen different scenarios that involve some variation of leaving Tim in his living room and calling Dick to come and deal with this mess. But each one would have Bruce's golden boy come chasing after _him_ to find out what happened to his precious little brother.   
  
As Jason breaks in (through the front door no less) he ultimately decides to stay. If anything, the novelty factor of what happened has him curious. Plus, if Tim really is in there, then perhaps he can use that new sniffer of his to track down the kid who did this to him.   
  
He drops Tim's gear unceremoniously to the floor and more carefully places the wet dog on the rug in front of the wall-mounted TV in his living room. Having never been inside the place before (it’s very modern in style with all the clean lines, but comfortable looking too), it takes him a few minutes to find some towels. Jason dries himself off first and, leaving his leather jacket to dry over the back of a chair in what looks to be a rarely used dining room, brings the other one to the black dog laying on the floor.   
  
He's starting to twitch, which he takes as a good sign.   
  
"Can't believe I'm doing this," Jason finds himself muttering as he kneels next to Tim. He carefully runs the towel over the damp dog, soaking up the excess rainwater from outside. The storm's still rumbling overhead.   
  
"Okay, Replacement. You had better be in there because if you're not, then I have no fucking idea what to do besides call Dickie. And based on some of the comments you've let slip the last couple times I've seen you, I know things aren't all golden between the two of you." He keeps up a stream of words, all low and in what he hopes is a non-aggressive tone.   
  
The dog twitches some more and lets out a low whine.   
  
"Tim?" Jason asks cautiously. It's possibly the first time he has ever used his replacement's first name. Out loud at least. Or where he could hear him.  
  
Another whine and the big dog opens an eye, gazing warily up at Jason.   
  
"Okay, you're awake. Not exactly sure what the protocol is here but if you know you're Tim Drake, whine twice for me."  
  
One whine. Then another. Jason heaves a huge sigh of relief as he falls back onto the floor. "Oh thank god."   
  
In front of him, Tim shifts and twitches, wagging his tail with a heavy thump several times before he gets it under control. He looks bewildered as he tries to figure out how his new body works.  
  
It's actually kinda funny looking and Jason snickers.   
  
The dog glares as he manages to sit up. He lifts a paw and looks at it curiously.   
  
"Yeah. You're a dog. A heavy one too," Jason comments as he sits up as well.   
  
Tim whines again and lets out a soft _woof_ , startling himself at the sound.   
  
"That kid in the alley. Magic user from the looks of it. Wammied you when you touched him. Or her, I'm still not sure on that one. Anyways, he kept saying he couldn't control it, apologized, then ran off. Figured bringing you home to something familiar would be best for now. So here we are." Jason realizes he's babbling and stops abruptly. He must really be off his game tonight. 

But then again, it’s not every night Red Robin gets turned into a dog. He’s seen and done some strange shit in his time, but this is definitely up there in the top five. Perhaps the top three (he’ll always be in the top slot of what the fuck moments, what with waking up in his own coffin and all).  
  
Dog-Tim stands shakily and takes a few careful steps. He's wobbly at first but he gains confidence the further he walks. Jason watches him make his way across the room to a big desk piled high with files and an assortment of books. He gets up and follows.   
  
Tim woofs quietly as he tries to stand up on his hind legs to reach the desk. He still doesn't have the control for it yet and falls back to all fours fast, though he does manage to keep from losing his balance completely.   
  
"What am I looking for?" Jason looks at the piles, noticing most of the books are textbooks. Since when did the Replacement go to school? "Books, paper, crap, pens," he rattles off what he sees. Tim whines once, which seems to be the signal for _no_ , as Jason rummages through the desk.

Opening a drawer, he spots it. "Tablet," he says triumphantly and lifts it up, arching an eyebrow at the dog.   
  
He gets a doggy grin and two whines in return.   
  
"Okay." Jason sits down on the floor again as it's easier for Tim to see what he's doing. He’s positive the canine wonder has a reason for wanting it. "This has to be password protected. Care to give me some hints?"  
  
Through much trial and error, Tim guides him through the convoluted password. They manage to develop a system where Jason can narrow down the letter, number, or symbol that's being used. The dog often gets irritated though and noses the screen, leaving wet smears across the face of it that has Jason chortling in wicked glee each time it happens because he's never seen a dog look so _disgusted_ before.   
  
"Fucking finally, we're in," Jason proclaims as the screen finally opens up. "Now where to? I doubt you’re wanting to FaceTime anyone right now.”  
  
Fifteen minutes and another password later finds him digging through a hidden file that’s linked to Tim's main computer in his mini Batcave downstairs. It's a list of Teen Titans contacts.   
  
"Zachary Zatara?" he asks the black dog now lying next to him, his big head resting on Jason's thigh.   
  
Jason pretends that he doesn't find the warmth emanating from the dog comforting. He also ignores the fact that he’s already scratched behind Tim’s now floppy black ears several times as they sit together on the floor navigating through the tablet and that the dog has leaned into it every time. For some reason, he’s finding Tim-as-a-dog is not nearly as irritating as Tim-as-a-person.  
  
Tim whines twice, his signal for yes.   
  
Reading through the file on the young man, Jason almost instantly sees why Tim had him go through all this effort in the first place. "He's a magician."  
  
A low woof in agreement.   
  
"Okay, he’s your version of Zatanna. Makes sense.” Jason reaches up and sets the tablet back on the desk behind him. Idly patting Tim’s big head again, he continues, “So here's the next big adventure. Where the hell is your phone so I can call this guy and get his ass here?"

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Blinks in surprise** Wow. Over 100 kudos on the first chapter? Thank you everyone for reading! :D

 

As Tim watches Jason call Zatara, he decides that tonight is going down as one of the worst nights he's ever experienced. Being turned into a _dog_ by a child is quite possibly one of the most embarrassing things to have happen to him. And to have it witnessed by Jason? Even worse. He's sure the other man is just waiting to let loose with all sorts of jokes and comments once they get things figured out.   
  
Still, there are some perks.  
  
When he regained consciousness, it was to the soothing tone of Jason's rich voice, a deep baritone he's more used to hearing shouting than trying to keep him calm. He kept his eyes closed for as long as he could just to keep listening to it. But even after he opened his eyes, the other man didn't shout.   
  
He looked _relieved_.   
  
Which was good because Tim was starting to have an existential crisis as he realized his body wasn't quite what he remembered it being. His first clue was vision but it really should have been smell. Even with his eyes shut, difference scents assaulted his senses, almost overwhelming him as he tries to adjust. He's not looking forward to going outside.   
  
Figuring out how to even _move_ was a challenge. Coordinating four legs and a long tail took getting used to. His body still ached from what had happened so he was glad when Jason got the clue and found his tablet so he could use that to get help that didn't involve Bruce, Dick, and an invasion of people in his home. The noise alone would likely drive him insane.   
  
Eventually, Tim flopped down next to Jason on the floor, curling up against him as they navigated the tablet. He's going to remember him rubbing behind his ears for the rest of his life. The man doesn’t seem to realize he’s doing it.

Jason hangs up the phone in a huff and glares down at Tim. "Is that guy always such a prick? Seriously, if I want to deal with attitude, I'll spend time with the demon. He's got it in spades."  
  
Tim does the only thing he can do. He woofs quietly in agreement. Nodding is already something he's discovered is hard to do unless he concentrates. Shaking his head is almost impossible.   
  
"Says he'll be here in a few hours. I got lucky in reaching him apparently. Said he was between shows in Metropolis."  
  
So that's that. Tim sighs, something he's discovered he can still do as a dog.   
  
"C'mon, Replacement. You can deal for a few more hours. Unless you want me to call someone else?" Jason waves the phone in emphasis.   
  
Anyone else would mean involving the others. He'll wait and see what Zatara says. If he can't help, he'll tell him (or Jason really) to call Zatanna.    
  
One whine.   
  
He starts walking away, brushing up against Jason as he does. It's another signal they've already developed to indicate Tim wants him to follow.   
  
Tim leads him into the kitchen and sits down in front of the fridge. If this isn't a hint, he doesn't know what is.   
  
Jason chuckles, low and rich like he did earlier and Tim can't suppress the shudder like he did earlier. He can't control his new body well enough yet. Luckily, the other man doesn’t seem to notice.  
  
"Hungry? Or thirsty? I'm both, so lets see what you've got."  
  
Tim moves while Jason rummages around. He takes a bottle of water and pours it into a mixing bowl he unearths from the cabinets. Tim's pretty sure he's never used it before.   
  
"Water for now. Try not to make a mess while you figure that tongue out," the big man teases, giving him a crooked grin as he does.   
  
While Jason goes back to looking for food they can both eat, Tim eyes the water bowl and sighs again. This is humiliating.   
  
*****  
Jason tries to give Tim some privacy as he drinks his water. This entire experience has to be excruciating for the normally cool and collected bird. He wonders what he'd do in the replacement's shoes.   
  
Probably flip his shit.   
  
He finds the fixings for sandwiches and slaps together a couple, one without mustard for Tim as he's pretty sure dogs shouldn't have human condiments. The whole wheat bread, lean turkey, and provolone should be safe enough.   
  
Grabbing a plate from the cupboard, Jason sets it and the sandwich on the floor next to Tim's water bowl. "Grab and growl," he says and takes a bite of his own food.   
  
The dog gives him a put upon look and starts eating.   
  
Jason can't help but laugh. Even as a dog, Tim's attitude is coming through loud and clear. "You know," he says thoughtfully, looking over the build and features of the dog in front of him. "I think you're a lab. Not a bad dog to be turned into when you think about it."  
  
Tim growls.   
  
"No, seriously," he continues. "You could have been turned into a chihuahua. At least as a Labrador, the shelter would take you in and you'd be snatched up into a good home in heartbeat." Jason takes another bite of his sandwich. "Until you turn back into a human that is and traumatize the kids. Or the housewife. The kids would probably think you're a werewolf or some shit."  
  
He glances down at Tim and leers, knowing his next comment is going to piss him off. He's been holding back enough. His replacement is in that big dog’s head and fucking around with the baby bird is what he does. Time to get some enjoyment out of this.   
  
"Or maybe you'd get lucky and have some fun with the bored housewife. You're not going to have clothes on when you change back. You could let her take advantage and give her the ride of a lifetime."  
  
Jason laughs as Tim snarls viciously at him but makes no move from where he's still trying to eat his sandwich. The meat and cheese are gone while the bread is still hanging out on the plate.   
  
"Still the Boy Virgin?" he prods because he can, although in the back of his mind, he finds he really is curious about the answer. Tim is in his late teens, almost twenty if he’s doing the math right. Not exactly an age where one is still wandering around with his v-card.

The black lab ignores him, so Jason takes that as the sign to continue. He was the chatty Robin after all. "At least as a dog you can do something most men except for Dick and Ron Jeremy can only dream of."   
  
He swears that if a dog could roll its eyes, the Replacement would be doing it right now.   
  
"What? Haven't you ever wanted to lick your own balls before?"  
  
*****

By the time Zatara arrives, Tim is so completely and utterly _done_ with being a dog.

The worst part of it, he decides, is that he can’t fight back. He can snap and snarl, but he and Jason both know he’s not going to bite the big man (not until he has a better idea of how strong his jaws are, at least). The teasing is almost incessant, but thanks to his now extremely sensitive sense of smell, Tim knows Jason’s almost as nervous and on edge as he is. For that reason alone, he’s giving him a pass.

Zatara takes one look at Tim and starts laughing. Asshole.

“Look at you, Rob. A dog. Seriously, I thought Batman trained you guys to be quick on your feet.” To the older Titans, Tim would always be Robin; almost none of them called him Red Robin, much to Damian’s displeasure.

“And quick with our mouths,” Jason interrupts from where he’s taken a seat on the sofa after letting the magician inside. “Get on with it.”

The dark haired young man gives Jason a disdainful look. “I don’t know who you are, so you’re lucky I even came at all.” He kneels down next to Tim and holds out his hand.

Tim gives it an obliging sniff, not sure what Zatara wants him to do.

The hand starts moving over Tim’s head and down over his back, all the way down to the tip of his tail. It’s gentle and he can see why dogs enjoy being petted, but already, Tim knows he prefers Jason’s touch.

“I said I was Red Robin’s older brother,” Jason retorts sharply.

“I’ve met his older brother,” Zatara replies as he lifts up one of Tim’s front paws and inspects it. “ _You_ are not Nightwing.”

“No, I’m the Red Hood. And I’m still his older brother.”

That garners a reaction from the magician as he looks curiously over at Jason. “I didn’t know you guys were brothers. Aren’t you one of the bad guys?”

“Only when I feel like it,” Jason shrugs. “So what’s the verdict?”

Zatara sits back on his heels and gives Tim a firm rub between his shoulders. “Rob was turned into a dog by some kind of wild magic. It’s not a spell per se, but something else. Tell me exactly what you remember happening.”

As Jason does so, Tim wishes he could tell them what it _felt_ like. The burning sensation, the roaring in his ears. But Jason gives a good description of the white light and how it emanated from the kid and rushed over Tim.

“He was in pain, I could see that much,” he finishes. “That howl before he passed out sent shivers down my spine.”

Tim whines twice in agreement.

“Yeah, forced transformations are never comfortable,” Zatara agrees, absently petting Tim’s head. “So, there’s good news and there’s bad news. Which do you want first?”

“Just spit it out,” Jason almost snaps.

The magician rolls his eyes. “Good news first then. He’ll turn back to normal on his own. Bad news is, I’m not entirely sure _when_. It should be no more than a week.”

Tim groans, yet another sound he discovered he could make similarly to his human form.

To his surprise, Jason does too. “You’re shitting me. What am I going to do with Red Robin the Canine Wonder for a whole _week_?”

“Find the kid who did this?” Zatara offers as he stands up and dusts off his knees. “Rob’s a dog, so he’s got a good nose. He’ll be able to _smell_ the magic. Most animals can sense it in some way.”

“Yeah, and what should we do if we find him? Call you?”

“Yes,” Zatara replies simply. “The kid needs training and only a magician like myself or my cousin can help.”

Jason sighs in frustration and rubs at his eyes with one hand. Tim agrees, he’s tired too. “Okay. Any advice for how to apprehend him?”

“Don’t touch him? Unless you want to try out life on four legs too.” Zatara grins sharply. Tim can _smell_ the enjoyment coming off of him as he teases Jason.

“No thanks. Replacement there can tell me all about it later.”

“Well, you’ve got my number. Or rather, you have Robin’s phone, so be sure to call me when you find the kid. I’ll come right away.” With that, the magician turns and walks out the door.

Tim glares at the door his former Titan’s teammate walked out of. He woofs loudly, expressing his displeasure.

“Yeah, you said it, Replacement.” Jason gets up to lock the door and stares down at him. “So what do we do now?”

There’s one thing that’s starting to bother Tim, something he’s been trying to put off for a while now, but it’s getting to the point he can’t ignore it. He walks up to Jason and scratches at the door.

Jason gives him a blank look before he starts snickering. “Finally gotta take a piss, huh? Let’s go.” He opens the door. “At least I don’t have to worry about housetraining you.”

Tim growls softly, but pads after Jason and out onto the damp sidewalk. The rain has finally stopped, leaving a cool humidity to the air that’s almost pleasant. But he was right about the scents from outside being overwhelming and he sneezes almost right away.

“Yeah, this is what you get for living in Crime Alley, Timmy,” Jason says quietly as he keeps a watchful eye on the street around them. “Not exactly sunshine and roses.”

As he walks towards the alley closest to his home, Tim wonders exactly what sunshine would smell like. He’s pretty sure roses would make him sneeze again. Idle thoughts cross his mind as he enters the alley; he doesn’t want to think about what he’s going to do next and just lets nature take its course. The stench from the alley is enough to make him want to vomit.

Jason thankfully gives him his privacy again and stands at the front of the alley, waiting for him to finish.

Tim comes rushing out when he’s done, breathing heavy as the air out here is much better by comparison. He brushes past Jason again, leaning into his leg a slightly as he does, then trots back down the street to his apartment. Already, he’s moving much better in this body than he was earlier.

“Now what?” Jason asks as he follows Tim and lets him into his house. He locks the door again behind them. “It’s getting late. I should probably get going.”

No, that’s the last thing Tim wants right now and he whirls around, whining once to express his displeasure at the thought. He does _not_ want to be left alone right now.

“You don’t want me to leave?”

No. One whine.

Jason sighs and looks around before he shrugs. “Fine. But I’m sleeping in a bed, not on the sofa.”

*****

Tim leads Jason upstairs, down a hallway, and into a bedroom. Turning on the light, Jason’s eyes widen and he looks down at his newly minted canine companion. “Drake, this is _your_ room. I can’t believe you don’t have a guest room in this place.”

Although the bed is rather nice looking. It’s big. And if he knows his replacement at all, it’s _comfortable_. His current mattress has at least three broken springs and sags in the middle.

The dog huffs (his current version of an eye roll, Jason just knows it) and leads him back out of the room, heading back down the hallway. He stops in front of another door. Jason opens the door and turns on the light. “Oh,” he replies as he takes in the sight of the small twin-sized bed tucked in amidst piles of boxes. The decision is a no brainer. “Your room it is then.”

Back in Tim’s room, Jason strips off the rest of his gear. He wants a shower and discovers the master bathroom. “Nice,” he nods approvingly. It’s not quite as big as what he remembers from his time at Wayne Manor, but the modern vibe Tim has going on in his apartment is carried through in here but with sleek grays, whites, and blacks. The shower looks particularly inviting, but there’s a tub off in the corner that he makes a mental note to explore later.

Zatara did say it would be about a week after all.

He closes the bathroom door in Tim’s face, turns on the shower, and takes off the rest of his clothes.

Jason changes his mind about the shower. It’s not inviting. It’s _divine_. He stands there under the spray, enjoying the stinging spray that hits his head and shoulders. The pressure combined with the warmth of the water helps him release the tension in his body, almost like the stress of the night is washing away down the drain along with the sweat and grime from his unusual patrol.

Unusual patrol, he laughs to himself as he washes his hair (the shampoo is unsurprisingly no frills; Tim has simple tastes but seems to splurge where it counts). Never in a million years would he have pictured himself in his Replacement’s home, let alone in his _shower_ and about to sleep in his _bed_.

He’ll admit to himself that he’s imagined doing a few other things involving the younger bird. Fighting the Replacement, tossing out veiled insults, watching him lose his famed control…yeah, it turns him on. Gives him a rush in the way few things do anymore. After one of their encounters, Jason’s not ashamed to admit he’ll finish himself off in the shower at his current flop-house cursing (praising) Tim’s name.

There’s just something about him…something he only noticed after Dickiebird replaced him as Robin with the little demon. Tim has a vicious edge that none of the others have, not even Bruce. He’s positive that with the right push, Tim would cross that line the others never would with little to no regret.

Jason washes slowly, still enjoying the sensation of the spray on his skin. It comes as no surprise that he finds himself half hard already, what with the direction of his thoughts and the warm water. He wraps a soapy hand around his length and squeezes lightly, tightening the grip incrementally with each stroke.

It occurs to him as he thrusts into his fist that perhaps Tim’s shower is not the best place to do this right now, not with how sensitive a certain dog’s nose currently is. He’s bound to smell it on him. Jason smirks wickedly and decides he doesn’t care. What’s Tim going to do to him? For once, he can’t bitch him out for something he did.

He feels the tightening sensation that heralds his release and spills over his fist to thoughts of Tim yelling at him.

Finishing up in the shower, Jason dries off (using what he’s positive is Tim’s towel as he didn’t find any others in the bathroom) and wraps it around his waist. He exits the steamy room and stops short at the sight that meets him.

Tim is sprawled out on the large bed. He’s made some sort of nest for himself out the blankets, and has taken over what Jason assumes is _his_ side of the bed.

“Good thing it’s summer or I’d be more pissed about you hogging the blankets. You got anything big enough I can wear to sleep? Otherwise you’re getting Jason au naturale.” He smiles sharply, knowing he’s pushing the Replacement’s buttons again.

The dog cracks open a sleepy eye and glares at him.

“Oh, excuse me, princess. I didn’t mean to wake your royal highness,” Jason taunts as he strides toward the bed. “Clothes? Or am I sleeping in the buff? I don’t mind either way, but you’re the prissy one.”

Tim huffs a massive sigh and drags himself off the bed. He stumbles as he hits the floor, but recovers and walks around to his dresser, pawing at the second drawer from the bottom.

Jason chuckles and kneels down next to Tim. Opening the drawer, he finds a variety of gym shorts and t-shirts. He pulls out a random black t-shirt and sees a red S-shield on the front. He smirks again at the dog. “You and the super-clone a thing, huh?”

The thought disappoints him momentarily, but then Tim whines once.

“No, you’re not? Or no, not anymore?”

One whine. There’s a look on his face that conveys his frustration over not being able to properly communicate.

“We’ll leave that as a simple no, baby bird,” Jason says as he tries on the shirt. It’s almost big enough, but apparently the clone is shorter than him as the shirt doesn’t go down as far as he thought it would. “Any shorts in there?”

Tim gives him another put out look and noses around.

Jason waits, curious to see what he’ll find. A pair of loose gym shorts are dropped in his lap and Tim stalks away, his tail whipping side to side.

Dropping his towel, Jason tries on the shorts. He hears Tim jump back up on the bed behind him.

They’re too snug over his groin. “Ain’t no way I’m sleeping in these. Last time I wore pants this tight, they were scaly and green.” He takes them off, but leaves the shirt on.

Tim huffs again as Jason walks across the room to hit the lights. His back is to him and his eyes are closed already.

It’s the perfect opportunity. “Aw, don’t want to see me free-balling it tonight? Come on, we match. You’re lettin' it all hang loose too, Canine Wonder.”

The Replacement growls and doesn’t open his eyes.

“Fine, you’re no fun.” He turns off the lights. Turning back to the bed, he tries one more time to get a better reaction. “Just sayin’ though. If I were a dog, that would be the first thing I’d try.”

In the dark, it’s hard to see, but Jason can barely make out Tim raising his head finally. He growls again and settles back down with a huff.

Jason settles into bed, pulling back the sheet Tim left for him. It’s more than enough on this warm night. He was right about Tim’s bed too. As he sprawls out, his knee brushes up against the large lab. “Your bed’s comfy,” he mutters.

Tim snorts and shifts again, but doesn’t move away.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first scene here should be familiar to those who read Coffee House Rules. :D

 

The next afternoon, Tim yawns widely as he watches Jason make coffee. They’d gone to bed late (or early, depending on one’s point of view). He’s amused by how certain morning routines remain the same, even with four legs. 

And right now, he wishes with every fiber of his very _being_ that he had two hands, two legs, and opposable thumbs because he knows the other man is taunting him _on purpose_ as he slowly, methodically, fills one of his coffee mugs. 

“If I’m staying here for a few days, I need to bring over some tea,” Jason comments idly, yawning widely himself. “Although,” he pauses as he inhales the scent of the rich dark roast Tim prefers, “This doesn’t smell half bad.” 

Tim whines as he stares up at the mug Jason’s holding. 

“What’s that, Replacement? You want some of this?” He takes a sip. “I’m pretty sure caffeine is lethal for dogs. I don’t want to kill you that badly anymore.” 

No, he’ll kill Tim in more creative ways. Like sleeping half naked in his bed wearing nothing but a t-shirt he’d appropriated from Kon forever ago and never gave back. Or by getting off in his shower while Tim could _smell_ everything. And now, thanks to Jason’s complete lack of shame, he’s got the full mental image of what Jason looks like without clothes. 

To be fair, he did put his pants on when they got up and took Tim outside. 

It’s even better than he imagined (and that’s saying something because Tim has a fantastic imagination). He knows this would never have happened if he were human. 

But standing there in his kitchen, wearing nothing but those worn jeans that hang low on his hips without a belt…If Tim were human, he wishes he’d have the composure to sit here in his kitchen and surreptitiously stare (maybe sneak a picture or two for later on his phone), but he’s pretty sure he’d have taken one look at Jason’s scarred torso, at the line of dark hair that starts at his belly button and goes down, down, down over his perfect abdominals to disappear into his jeans, and he’d have bolted. 

Tim’s known for a while now that he has a thing for Jason. If he wants to really analyze that thought, he’s had a thing for Jason since he learned what a _thing_ was (waking up with a sticky mess in his bed from dreams of Robin). 

Standing there drinking _his_ coffee though, Tim can’t help it. It’s like his new body has a mind of it’s own. He rolls over onto his back and _whines_ pitifully. 

Jason chokes as he tries not to laugh. “Christ, Replacement, you’re gonna kill me here. I said _no_.” 

Tim forces his body to roll back over and huffs in resignation. Gaining his feet, he slowly lumbers out of his kitchen, tail hanging dejectedly between his legs. 

He jumps up on the sofa and flops down with a sigh. 

Jason apparently doesn’t know how to take a hint because he follows with his coffee, pushing Tim slightly to make room so he can sit down too. The motion forces Tim to either move or rest his head on Jason’s thigh. He chooses the latter and is rewarded by having his ears scratched gently. 

There are certainly _some_ perks to being a dog. A shameless need for bodily contact and petting is one of them. Dick would have a field day. 

“So I was thinkin’,” Jason says as he continues rubbing behind Tim’s ears and petting his head. “We need to find this kid.” 

Tim huffs in agreement. 

“I also need to leave and go get a few things. You’re woefully under stocked in the food department.” 

Another huff. He’d meant to go grocery shopping today. His list is on his phone, but he has no way of telling Jason that. 

“I should be gone a couple hours. Think you can behave yourself?” 

Tim catches the raised eyebrow and the teasing expression. He raises his head and grins. Some time without Jason around sounds great. Perhaps he can put his head back on straight. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” 

*****

When Jason returns a few hours later, he’s surprised to not find Tim at the door waiting for him. With everything he’s carrying and the noise he made coming in, he was certain he’d be sitting there with a _what took you so long_ look on his face. 

Even as a dog, Tim’s face is expressive. He totally called the eye roll last night too. 

He drops his duffel bags by the door and carries the grocery bags to the kitchen. As tempting as it was to buy dog food for Tim, he knew better than to waste his money. Instead, he did some research before leaving on people food that dogs could eat without getting sick. 

“I hope he likes broccoli,” Jason mutters as he puts everything away. 

He hears Tim’s nails on the hardwood floor before he sees him appear in the kitchen. 

“And just what the hell have you been up to?” he asks rhetorically. “Need to go outside at all before I take off my shoes?” 

Tim carefully moves his head from side to side. He then huffs and smiles stupidly, tongue hanging out and whines once. 

“Yeah, I think you should stick with the whines for yes and no. That looked ridiculous. You hungry?” 

Two woofs. 

“Figured you would be. Breakfast was slim pickings for both of us. Do you even know how to go grocery shopping?” Jason keeps up a running monologue as he makes lunch, Tim replying here and there when asked a yes or no question. 

After eating and cleaning up, Jason heads back to the front door and picks up two of his duffel bags. Tim follows and gives him a quizzical look. 

“Laundry,” Jason explains. “Easier to bring it here and use your washer and dryer than take everything to the coin laundry down the street from my apartment. Consider it my fee for dog-sitting your ass.” 

The noise Tim lets out is a mix of a bark and a huff, but Jason gets the distinct feeling he’s being laughed at. 

“Whatever, Replacement. I’m gonna get this started, then we’re going to plan out tonight. We’ve got a kid to find.” 

Ten minutes later, Jason sits down on the floor in front of Tim with yet another bag of supplies he brought. The dog gives him a quizzical look when he takes out a small backpack. 

“It’s a hiking pack that larger dogs can carry on their backs that’s not supposed to impede their movement. Since we have no idea when you’re gonna change back to your oh-so-charming self, I thought you’d want to have some clothes on you in case it happens when we’re on patrol.” 

Tim sniffs at the black and gray pack and snorts. 

“Yeah, I’m sure it stinks, but you’re wearin’ it. This too.” Jason holds up a red dog collar. 

The black lab growls in displeasure. 

“The last thing I need is us getting separated and some jackass finding you wandering around. Come on, I even made you a tag.” He shows Tim the engraved tag (as tempting as it was to splurge on the tag in the shape of the Bat emblem, he stuck with the basic dog bone; the backpack cost enough as it was). “Think you can answer to Darcy for a few days?” 

Tim’s expression tells him the literary reference isn’t lost on him this time. 

“It’s my favorite book, so suck it. Now come here. You need to get used to it. Be thankful I didn’t buy a leash.” 

It had been tempting, but he knew Tim wasn’t going to wander off. Not on purpose at least. 

He gets the collar on Tim. The dog shakes himself as he settles it in place. The red of the collar stands out against his black coat. 

“See, at least you’re still in black and red. I could have gotten Dickwad-blue. There was one there in that color.” 

A huff followed by a single whine is Tim’s response to that. 

“That’s what I thought too.” Jason gets up to go sit on the sofa. It’s more comfortable than the floor. 

Tim apparently thinks so too as he jumps up and takes his spot next to Jason, head resting once again on his leg. He idly starts petting the dog. 

“Here’s what I was thinkin’ for tonight…” 

*****

The night is a bust as far as Tim’s concerned. His new senses are completely overwhelmed by the scents on the streets; the only one he can pick up with any certainty is Jason’s. He’s learning though, so there’s a start.

There is something in the air that prickles his senses in other ways, something that permeates the area where the two of them encountered the kid last night. The rain hadn’t washed away the scent entirely, especially in the cardboard box the child had been hiding in. He’s pretty sure it belongs to the kid…the scent of magic, just like Zatara said he’d be able to scent or sense in some way. 

Also, he’s pretty sure the kid’s a _she_ rather than a _he._ After a few encounters with some hookers (all of whom Jason knew by first name, amusing the daylights out of Tim), he realized he could smell the differences in gender, which was rather interesting and something he filed away to ponder later. 

Tim wishes for some way to vocalize all this to Jason. 

The second night, still no luck finding the kid. 

But on the third night, they pick up a lead on their serial slasher. 

“At this point, I’ll take anything I can get,” Jason mutters quietly to Tim as they run across the rooftops of the Bowery. 

He growls in agreement. 

The sight of a dog following after the Red Hood hasn’t garnered much attention yet, but a dog that jumps between buildings like the vigilantes do will eventually if he’s caught. They’d learned last night that Tim does better when he has a chance to clear his nose of the stench below. Not that the roofs are all that much of an improvement, but they can move faster once Jason hauls Tim up with him on a grapple line. 

Roof running is much easier with four legs, Tim decides as he barrels along with Jason. He’s much more comfortable in his new body going into the third night, though he is finding it harder to suppress certain canine instincts. He’s woken up two days in a row now completely plastered to Jason’s side, cuddling up against the big man. 

Tim takes a certain amount of pleasure in the fact that Jason has an arm wrapped around him in return. He has a feeling that when this little adventure is over, it’ll go down as one of the unspoken things that occurred (another is that Tim can _smell_ each time Jason gets off in his shower; he’s done it _every time_ and just smirks at him when he comes out). 

As the night progresses, the air takes on a sticky quality with the high humidity, the promise of another thunderstorm looming in the distance. Tim can _feel_ it; he’s on edge as the urge to take shelter tries to overtake his more human desire to push on. 

So when they encounter Dick a couple buildings down, Tim goes with his body’s first instinct. He plants himself in front of Jason and _snarls_. 

It’s hard to say who’s more surprised at the action, Dick, Jason, or Tim. 

“Whoa, there,” Dick says as he steps back and raises his hands. “Since when did you run around with a dog, Little Wing?” 

Jason reaches out and, for the first time, tugs on Tim’s collar, pulling him back. He kneels next to him, rubbing a gloved hand over his head and down his back as he tries to soothe him. “It’s a recent thing,” he replies. 

Tim stills instantly at Jason’s touch but he’s more in shock over what he just did. He must be more on edge that he thought as no way would he have a chance against Dick on four legs, snapping teeth notwithstanding (before he and Jason had gone out the first night, they’d tested how hard Tim could bite, using Jason’s heavy gloves as a gauge. Both had been impressed how hard he could go before Jason called stop). 

“Is that so?” Dick asks warily, still keeping his distance. “You keeping a t-bone hidden in your jacket somewhere? I’ve never seen a dog jump between buildings like that before.” 

“He’s special,” Jason explains without really explaining anything at all. “The fucker is too smart for his own good.” His voice comes out flat through the voice modulators in his helmet. 

“That still doesn’t explain how you managed to train him to run with you like that.” 

“I’m not explainin’ shit to you,” Jason replies as he stands up. Tim keeps close, wanting to lean into the man’s leg, but he doesn’t, knowing he may need to move fast if Dick tries anything. 

He really doesn’t want Dick to find out he’s a dog. His brother will drag him back to the Cave and make a huge fuss. Bruce won’t let him out on the streets until the magic wears off. And Damian…well, that one’s a toss up as the kid really does have a soft spot for animals. He’s just not sure that would include him in canine form. 

“Jason…” Dick tries, but the other man cuts him off. 

“I need him for a case I’m workin’. Don’t worry, I’m not putting him in danger or anything.” 

“He’s five stories up, how is that _not_ putting him in danger?” 

“Just leave it be, Dickieboy. He’s a hell of a lot smarter than the average canine.” The way Jason words it makes Tim want to grin. He wonders if Dick will catch it and take the obvious route. 

He does and scowls. “Genetic modification?” 

Jason rubs a gloved hand over Tim’s head again. “I said he was special.” 

“Then he needs to be with the right handlers.” 

“He is with the right handler,” Jason all but growls. “He’s mine to take care of, at least for now.” 

Tim can’t help but lean into Jason at that. Even if there’s a long list of things they won’t speak about after this is over, the first thing at the top of the list of things they _will_ is a big thank you for not leaving him alone after the kid changed him. 

Dick sighs and runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “Fine, I’ll leave it be for now. He’s not why I’m looking for you anyway.” 

“Then what is?” 

“I heard you and Tim were working together on that slasher case. Just wanted to check and make sure things were going okay.” 

Jason laughs, low and harsh. “They’re goin’ just fine, Dickie. But as you can see, I’ve got my hands full with something else right now.” He gestures to Tim. 

“Yeah, I see,” Dick agrees. “Do you know where Tim is tonight? He’s not answering his comms. Or his phone.” 

Shit, Tim knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Jason has his phone and each time he got a new text, he asked if Tim wanted him to reply or not. He’d been choosing the latter option, not wanting to give themselves away by having Jason flub up a text. 

He decides this conversation needs to end _now_. 

Luckily, the perfect excuse is almost right on top of them. Tim growls and backs away from both men, looking up at the sky as he does. There’s a flash of lightning and the thunder booms hot on it’s heels. He’s feeling jittery again and really doesn’t want to be on the roof anymore. 

Jason still hasn’t moved from his face off with Dick, so Tim tries one more time. He _whines_ , loudly and as pathetically as he can.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be Monday.


	4. Chapter 4

The almost desperate sound from Tim tears Jason’s attention away from Dick. He hasn’t noticed that the dog is no longer by his side, and, from the way Dick’s head whips around too, neither has he. Tim’s an inky shadow in the darkness when he wants to be. 

It takes him a moment to find Tim near the edge of the roof. 

Above them, there’s another flash of lightning as the storm moves closer. On the back of his neck, Jason can feel the wind starting to pick up. 

“I don’t know why the Replacement’s not answering his comms,” he replies to Dick, lying through his teeth. It’s always easy to lie to the older man; the Replacement is the one who catches him. “We found a lead on our guy not even an hour ago and went our separate ways to work it. The mutt and I are heading to the most recent scene right now to see if he can pick up a scent before the storm washes it away.” 

Tim whines again, louder. He’s sounding anxious now. 

“Fine,” Dick says, though he doesn’t look pleased. “Just tell him to call me later if you see him.” 

“Sure, whatever,” Jason agrees and tosses Dick a jaunty salute. “Gotta run.” 

With that, he jogs over to Tim and wraps an arm around him, trying to give Dick the impression he’s calming the dog. To his surprise, Tim is actually shivering. 

“Hey, calm down,” he murmurs into Tim’s ear. “I’m not letting Dickwad take you anywhere. Or is it being up here in the storm that’s got you all hot and bothered?” 

Two quick whines is his reply. 

“Right, storm. Let’s get street side then.” Jason shoots his grapple line across the gap to another building and picks up Tim, making sure he’s got a good grip on the dog before he steps off the edge of the roof. 

Tim stays close as they traverse the streets. He seems to have calmed down some now that his feet are on terra firma, but Jason catches the occasional white of his eye that signals he’s still not happy about something. 

“Question for you…do you think Dickie’s likely to go knocking on your door if you don’t answer your phone soon?” 

Tim pauses as he thinks. Two whines is his response. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. We’ll make a quick detour there to grab a few things for you, then head over to my apartment.” 

Two more whines. 

“It’s not raining yet,” Jason says quietly. “Do you want to try and find our slasher, the kid, or go home before it starts pouring?” 

Two whines, a pause, two more whines, then a single one is Tim’s response. 

“Okay, we’ll follow up with our slasher lead and see if we cross paths with the kid. You still smelling magic?” 

Another two whines. 

“This is frustrating as hell,” Jason comments as they start walking again. “The kid has to be in the area. Goddamn rain.” It’s only through a series of questions asked through trial and error that he discovered Tim can smell or sense magic, but he can’t pinpoint where it’s all coming from. The area is apparently permeated with it, which tells them that this is the kid’s stomping grounds. 

It’s also right on the cusp of what Jason considers his territory and where the Replacement’s begins, so how neither one of them have heard about people being turned into dogs is still something of a conundrum. People apparently talk when someone comes up and slashes them in the face with a knife and runs off, but keep mum about tangling with a kid who turns them canine. 

Jason can’t blame them. It’s not like they can prove it after they’ve turned back and talk like that will just get them sent to the crazy house. 

Still, it would make his life infinitely easier if they did. A clue would be great right about now. 

They’re walking through the maze of narrow side streets and alleys that make up the border of the Bowery and Crime Alley when Tim stops short and starts growling, low and menacing. He’s looking off to his right, further down another alley. 

Under his helmet, Jason grins. About time they found some action. He’s been feeling the urge to hit something (someone) since their encounter with Dick. “Something down there you want to tango with?” he asks in a low voice. 

Tim takes a few cautious steps into the alley when his growl becomes a snarl and he leaps forward into the darkness.

“Fuck.” Jason chases after him. He spares a passing moment of concern that Tim is acting more canine tonight than he has in previous nights. 

He hears Tim snarling and the sound of someone shouting. “You fuckin’ mutt! What the fuck is your problem? I ain’t done nuthin’ to you.” 

Jason stops short and takes in the sight in front of him. Tim has a man cornered against a tall fence that would even give him some problems if he had to scale it quickly. The man is unkempt, with wild stringy hair and a beard that wouldn’t look out of place on a cave man. His eyes gleam manically and he’s waving a knife at Tim. The dog is standing just far enough back that he won’t be cut, but he’s still close enough to keep the man pinned. 

It’s the slasher he and Tim have been after. The description is spot on. Tim must have picked up the scent at the scene they were at earlier tonight after all. 

“Well, well, well,” Jason crows proudly as he walks closer. “Lookie who we have here.” 

The man tries calling out to him, “Call off your fuckin’ dog or I’m gonna cut him! Don’t think I won’t!” He waves the knife more. 

Jason strides closer, coming level with Tim and touches him lightly on the back. He stops snarling but he’s still on alert. 

“Touch my dog and I’ll rip your arm off,” he replies menacingly. “Cut my dog, I’ll feed you that arm.” 

The man shouts and waves his knife some more. Jason moves quickly and grabs the man’s wrist, squeezing and giving it a wrench to the side that forces him to drop the knife. It’s not a big one, but it would hurt. 

A swift clock to the head and the man’s falling unconscious at Jason’s feet. “Well, that was anticlimactic,” he says disparagingly. “You got more action than I did.” 

Tim snorts in reply. 

“Yeah, whatever. You’re not the one who has to drag this guy’s ass out to the street and truss him up for the police to find. This would be a lot easier if you had two hands rather than four feet, you know?” 

Jason doesn’t have to look behind him to know Tim’s giving him the eye-rolling look. The huff says it all. 

*****

Tim looks around at Jason's apartment curiously. It's not what he expected but in retrospect, he should have known better. The studio is small but clean. The laundry Jason did at his place still sits in the duffle bags he brought back yesterday.   
  
Good thing too if Dick sneaks into his home. Explaining why Jason's stuff is there when he's human again isn't something he'd want to get into.   
  
He wanders around as Jason puts away the food he salvaged from Tim's fridge. The man has plenty of bookcases for him to peruse. It takes him a moment to figure out that there is a classification system in place, but it seems to be more categorical than alphabetical. If Tim had fingers, they'd be itching right now to better sort them.   
  
"You a big reader, Replacement?" Jason asks as he comes up behind him.   
  
When he has the time is the answer. Tim tries for the middle ground with a whine and a half.   
  
Jason seems to get it as he laughs. He's laughed more in front of Tim over the last few days than he ever has before. It brings back memories of his Robin laugh. It's different now, deeper and more mature, but the roots are still there.   
  
Tim is better about suppressing the shiver this time.   
  
"I'll take that as a sort of. I know you read, I saw all those books at your place." Jason flops bonelessly onto his sofa and pats the cushion next to him. "You can come up if you want. I don't mind the fur."  
  
He jumps up and takes what he's starting to consider _his_ place next to Jason. Huffing a sigh as he rests his head on Jason's muscled thigh, Tim realizes he's going to _miss_ this when he's human again.   
  
The thought doesn't disturb him as much as it would have before. Over the last few days, he's seen a side of Jason he only heard about in hushed stories from Alfred when Bruce wasn't around. He understands better now why the old butler says if circumstances were different, he and Jason could have been great friends.   
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Jason asks as he idly runs a hand down Tim's back. It's been like this since the beginning, the idle touches.   
  
Tim wonders if Jason even realizes he's doing it.    
  
He woofs quietly and shifts so that he's laying more on his side than on his stomach. His head doesn't move from its place.   
  
"Yeah, dumb question. You freaked me out back there, you know," Jason says softly, like he didn't mean to say it out loud.   
  
Tim raises his head in surprise.   
  
"In the alley with the slasher. You went all canine."  
  
It takes him a moment to realize what Jason was talking about. Everything is a blur after he picked up that scent. He'd smelled it when they visited the last scene earlier tonight and when he caught it again in the alley, he just went with it.   
  
Instinct.   
  
No different than what he operates on as Red Robin, but all the more dangerous when he's in a body he can't control.   
  
This time, he can't suppress the shudder that ripples through his body.   
  
"Hey, it's okay," Jason tries to soothe and rubs his side. "I'm not sure what went through your head just now, but all I ask is that you try to keep from going full on dog with me. You're gonna change back anytime now. Just do it with the Tim Drake brain and not the Labrador brain, got it?"  
  
Tim whines twice in agreement.   
  
"Good. So what should we send to Dickhead?" Jason changes the subject. "He just texted again."  
  
At this point, Tim doesn't care but he tries to pay attention as Jason reads the message and gives him some options for responses, some of them appropriate for him and others that are pure Jason which has him laughing (quite the feat without the right vocal cords but the expression is the same).   
  
"Okay, so _Fuck off loser, I'm busy getting laid_ is off the table," Jason teases as he messes around with Tim's phone. "What would he do if you did send this? Flip his shit probably."  
  
Or give him a lecture on safe sex and give him a box of condoms. Tim snorts at the thought.   
  
"Nah, he's more likely to lecture you and slip you a pack of rubbers,” Jason responds to his own question.  
  
Tim snorts again and whines twice. Why can't things stay this way when he turns human again? Jason laughs again at his reaction.   
  
"Great minds…How about _I'm busy. Jason and I caught the slicer tonight_. That seems safe enough."

That sounds good. Two whines.   
  
The man starts texting. "You text in full sentences," he comments, apparently seeing the last few texts he's had with Dick. "Nice. So do I."  
  
Tim files that little tidbit away under his _Things I have in common with Jason Todd_ folder. It's been getting bigger over the last few days.   
  
"All right, sent. Let's see how long it takes for him to reply. Do you usually ignore him if he calls?"   
  
A whine and a half is Tim's reply.   
  
"Sometimes, huh? We'll stick with that." Jason rubs his head. "Ready to hit the sack? My bed is nowhere near as comfortable as yours. I may have to punch Dick in the throat next time I see him. Depriving me of a comfortable bed for a change."  
  
Tim doesn't care. He's always been able to sleep anywhere but while he's got four legs, he's taking every chance he can get to sleep next to Jason.   
  
He wants to enjoy it while it lasts.  
  
*****

The next morning, Jason wakes up feeling disoriented. He's at home, he knows that, but there's something off. Rolling over, he spots Tim still sleeping next to him. For the last few nights, he's slept more deeply and peacefully than he has in a long time. As much as he wants to deny it, he knows it's because of the dog he's been sharing a bed with.   
  
Well, the dog that's his Replacement.   
  
The words seem to be taking on a new meaning with the emphasis on _his_ rather than on replacement.   
  
It's too early to ponder the repercussions of that thought. However, once Tim's back on two legs, he may be willing to explore it further. Tim Drake isn't what he thought he was. And yes, he's aware that he'd been operating without the full picture thanks to Talia, but coming up to Tim out of the blue to say _hey, sorry for trying to kill you all those times. Glad it didn't stick_ just seems wrong too.   
  
He has a feeling though that Tim knows this already. The little shit is freaky good like that.   
  
Something still feels off, so Jason shifts again, this time sliding a hand under his pillow to grab the gun he keeps there.   
  
"I know you have a gun there, Todd," a young but haughty voice speaks up finally. "You're awake and not fooling anyone."  
  
Jason opens his eyes to glare at Damian. The little demon is sitting in the back of his sofa staring at him. Or rather, the dog that's starting to wake up next to him. He sets a hand on Tim's shoulder and feels him relax under his touch.   
  
"You're lucky we had a long night last night. You should see what this guy did with the slasher."  
  
"I read the moron's gibbering police report. I also spoke with Grayson this morning as well." The young teenager glares at Jason. "This dog needs special attention. It's in his best interests that I take him."  
  
Jason sits up at that. Tim starts growling low in his throat at Damian's words.   
  
"And where exactly are you gonna take him? Animal control can't handle him, he's too fucking smart."  
  
Like hell is anyone taking Tim from him. Even if he has to spill the beans about the dog being the not so missing Red Robin, he'd fight. This shit started with them together, it's going to end with them together.   
  
Fuck, he's screwed.   
  
"I have the proper facilities at home to assess him and determine the right course of action for his training and rehabilitation."  
  
Right. Jason sees what's going on here. He wants to punch Dick even harder now. "And does dear old Bat-dad know about this? How about Alfred? I doubt either one would let you handle a dog with _special needs_ like Darcy." He uses the name that's on the collar.   
  
"You named him?" Damian raises an incredulous eyebrow.   
  
"What else was I supposed to do? Mutt seems highly inappropriate for a dog like him." Jason sits up and stands upright, looming without seeming like he's looming. It's a handy trick, especially since all the Robins instinctively react to it since Bruce does it all the time, in and out of the cowl (he used to with him at least, he's not sure how that works now).  
  
"Naming a dog is a sign of attachment." Damian slides off the back of the sofa as he tries to stare Jason down.   
  
It's not working. "Darcy is staying right here, brat. Trust me when I say that if he wanted to go with you, he would."  
  
"He can't be that intelligent." Damian tries to peer around Jason.   
  
"You have no idea, kid. Now fuck off. Don't you have school or something?"  
  
"It's July. I'm on summer break, you nimrod."  
  
"I thought Dick or Bruce would have put you in a summer program. Learning how to make nice with people for juvenile delinquents or some shit like that." Jason crosses his arms over his chest and glares down at the kid.   
  
Behind him, Tim's moved to the edge of the bed, looking like he's readying himself for a launch if he's reading his posture right. The low growl hasn’t stopped. He drops his arms and settles a hand on the dog's head. He stills at Jason's touch.   
  
The action doesn't go unnoticed by Damian. "You've been working with him. How long has Darcy been in your care?"  
  
"Long enough."  
  
Damian gives him an assessing look then turns his gaze back on Tim.   
  
Jason wants to laugh. Man, if he only knew who this dog really is, he'd be flying out that window. Even he's heard about the squabbles between Tim and Damian. No love lost there, that's for sure.   
  
Now that he thinks about it, Dick really is the only one of the Robins that Tim can talk to. Or Batgirl. She was a Robin once too.   
  
Food for thought for another time. Damn but his list is getting long.   
  
The little bat comes to a decision. "Fine. For the time being, I'll allow Darcy to stay in your questionable care. But I'll be watching you, Todd."   
  
"Whatever rocks your world, brat. Just stay out of my way. I have no problem sharing your little rehab plan with Alfred. I'm sure he'd just love having another dog to take care of."  
  
Damian bristles but keeps his mouth shut as he tries for a dignified exit.   
  
Because he knows how the Bats operate, Jason searches his apartment looking for any audio or video bugs the kid may have left behind. He finds two audio devices and takes great pleasure in throwing them out his window for the traffic below to destroy.   
  
He sighs and looks around when he's done. "Looks like it's time to move soon. Sucks because I like this place."  
  
Tim whines and bumps his head against Jason's hand. He's been following Jason around during his search. He found the bug under the sofa.   
  
Jason scratches behind Tim's ears. "If you behave, maybe I'll tell you where I end up when you're back to normal. Gotta admit, you're growing on me, Drake."   
  
The dog doesn't pull away. Instead, he starts leaning against Jason's leg.   
  
"Gonna take that as a likewise. Come on, let's get our asses in gear and see if we can find that kid tonight."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is something inherently wrong with driving home from work and the sun is in my eyes. Sunglasses should not need to be worn before 6am. Just sayin'...
> 
> On that note, Dog Days is going through it's last round of edits, so once I get the drafts back from the wonderful and amazing GoAwayOlivia (I can't sing your praises enough!), I will likely update this faster. For now, Thursday or so will be when the next chapter is updated. I shall call it...the halfway point. :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been on fricking pins and needles this week waiting to post this chapter. I absolutely love it. So without further adieu...

Tim didn't want to admit it, but Damian's surprise visit had shaken him to the core. Under no circumstances does he want to end up in the youngest Wayne's care as the fallout for when he changes back would be epic. He has enough on his plate to deal with and doesn't need the extra drama.   
  
However, Jason's words afterwards had warmed him and gave him a spark of hope that perhaps this whole thing isn't as one sided as he thought.   
  
Words. Tim longs for them. Whines and huffs and growls can only convey so much.   
  
It's been four nights now since he was changed. Four nights in which he feels like he's been chasing his literal and figurative tail trying to find the little girl who did this to him, however inadvertently it was done.   
  
Four nights that have turned his thoughts on Jason upside down and sideways for good measure. And from the sound of it, there's at least a similar change of opinion on Jason's side.   
  
It's with these thoughts in mind that Tim takes to the streets with renewed vigor in hopes of finding the girl. Jason follows after him, wearing just a domino over his eyes tonight. Red Hood scared the child, so perhaps this version won't.   
  
Of course, nothing ever seems to go right when he wants it to.   
  
Tim's been feeling an itch between his shoulders where his small backpack rests since they started patrol a little after sundown. It's slowly starting to drive him nuts as he can't scratch it and he can't get the pack off without Jason's assistance. He can't verbalize the need either so he just tries to deal with it.   
  
As the night progresses, the scent of magic grows stronger (as does the itch). Tim almost barrels into an alley not far from where he was first turned. About halfway down under another cardboard box, he finds the girl. 

Finally _._  
  
He snuffles carefully at the overturned box, not wanting to startle her, but he can hear her breathing hard and can just pick up the sound of her small heart racing.   
  
Jason arrives, walking calmly but his scent is eager. "What did you find, Red?" he asks, purposefully using Tim's vigilante name rather than the name he gave him.   
  
Tim woofs softly and lies down in front of the box. He can't help wagging his tail in excitement.   
  
"Kid? You under there?" Jason asks in a low voice. "It's Red Hood. And Red Robin the Canine Wonder. We're not here to hurt you, we just want to help."  
  
"Go away," a small voice pipes up. "I can't control it."   
  
Jason sighs. "I know. But we know someone who can help you learn how. Two someone's actually. They're the ones who said Red Robin will eventually turn back to normal on his own."  
  
It's a bit of a stretch, but it's mostly true. Zatara did say Tim would change back eventually.   
  
"You wanna come out and give us a chance? I can call Zatara and while we wait for him, maybe we can grab a bite to eat. It's hilarious watching Red try and eat right now. He still thinks he has hands most of the time." Jason tries to convince the child to come out. Tim remembers from Bruce's files that he was always good with kids.   
  
"Who's Zatara?" the small voice asks, stumbling slightly over the odd name.   
  
Tim can smell that she's still wary but her heart rate has dropped as she calms down somewhat.   
  
"A magician. His cousin is Zatanna. She's with the Justice League."  
  
"She works with Superman?" A small hand lifts the edge of the box up, a pinched face peeking out from underneath.   
  
Tim huffs a laugh while above him, he knows Jason is grinning like a loon. This kind of thing apparently amuses him immensely too. Even in Gotham, Superman is still a favorite (he’ll wear Kon’s t-shirt around the Cave on the rare occasions he’s there just to piss off Bruce).  
  
"Yeah, she works with Superman sometimes. Red Robin and I have too."  
  
It's enough. The child lifts the box and crawls out from beneath it. She's dirty and wearing an assortment of clothes Tim wouldn't even use for rags.   
  
He huffs again and gives her a doggy grin, trying to keep her calm. She smiles down at him and pats his head. "It won't work a second time," she says. "Not when you're already a dog. I'm sorry about that."  
  
"Gave us quite the scare, I'll tell you that. We've seen some strange stuff in our time but that was something different." Jason pulls out Tim's phone. "I'm going to make a quick call to Zatara. Hang on a sec, kiddo."  
  
The girl sits down next to Tim while Jason wanders off a little ways for some privacy. Tim approves as dealing with the former Titan is always a pain in the ass. She pets him gently while they wait. He tries to shift so that her hand gets under his backpack, but she doesn't take the hint.

"Is Zatara nice?" the girl asks softly, her voice slightly tremulous.   
  
When he wants to be is what Tim would say if he could but for now, he huffs.   
  
"Yeah, I should ask Red Hood. I wish I could change you back. He's kinda scary," she whispers the last part.   
  
Tim scoots closer to her, trying to imply he'll protect her from the not-so-scary Red Hood. She wraps her thin little arms around his neck in return.   
  
Together they wait for Jason to return. From what Tim hears, he's arguing with the young magician. Again.   
  
Typical.   
  
When Jason returns to them, only his scent betrays how peeved he is. "Zatara is on his way. He's gonna meet us at that diner over on 35th and Dixon. You got anything stashed that you want to take with you, kiddo?"  
  
The little girl shakes her head. "No," she says quietly.   
  
"Okay." Jason kneels in front of her, just out of arm's reach. "It's gonna be all right. No one here is going to hurt you."  
  
Tim's neck gets another tight squeeze as the child nods her head.   
  
"You got a name?" Jason asks.   
  
"Lily," she whispers into Tim's fur.   
  
"Lily?" Jason repeats, not able to hide the surprise. "Huh, that explains a few things."  
  
He stands up again. "You ready to get some food in that belly of yours?"  
  
The girl's reaction is more excited this time. "Yes!"  
  
Much to Tim's dismay, he has to wait outside while Jason and Lily eat. They tried passing him off as a guide dog but the exasperated waitress already was peeved about serving a masked man and a rag clad child.   
  
Rather than sitting out front, Tim wanders around the building to the alley and noses around. The scents aren't bothering him as much now that he's growing more accustomed to his new body.   
  
He tries to find something he can use to get rid of that infernal itch. It's grown worse. A sudden thought occurs to him and he moans out loud. He'd better not have fleas!  
  
It soon gets to the point where he wants to say screw it and roll around on the ground, backpack and all, when he hears voices approaching. Jason, Zatara, and Lily approach, with the little girl rushing forward and wrapping her arms around Tim's neck.   
  
"I got ice cream!" she tells him excitedly.   
  
Tim's oddly proud of the fact Jason got Lily sugared up before handing her off to Zatara. He sniffs at her hair and gives Jason a look.   
  
The other man laughs while Zatara tries not to glare. "No one needs that much sugar at night," he grouses but there's no heat in it. "Lily wants to say goodbye before we head off," the magician explains.   
  
The itch suddenly gets unbearable and Tim twists away from Lily quickly. He scrambles back a few steps and tries to reach around and bite at the backpack.   
  
"Whoa, you okay there, Red?" Jason asks as he darts forward, dropping to his knees in front of Tim.   
  
He unclasps the bag from over the dog's chest and tries to maneuver it off, but Tim can't stop moving. The itch has become a burning sensation throughout his entire body. It clicks suddenly and Tim drops to the ground and cowers as he rides it out.   
  
He's turning back into a human.   
  
The burn and the roar are familiar and _welcome_ as his body shifts.   
  
This time, he doesn't lose consciousness.   
  
Tim gasps, breathing in the now muted scent of the ground beneath him. The air feels odd over his bare skin, warm and humid. Everything feels _raw_. His muscles spasm and he cries out from the shock of it.   
  
It's only then that he hears the voice above him, feels the touch of a bare hand running itself through his hair. "You're all right, Tim," comes Jason's deep voice, soothing him again like it had only days before. "Just breathe."  
  
Groaning (welcome back human vocal cords), Tim tries to roll over but only manages to push himself onto his side. He blinks blearily up at Jason. "Hey," he manages to rasp out.   
  
"Hey there, Replacement," Jason grins down at him. "As much as I like seeing those baby blues of yours, let's at least get a mask on you. And some pants."  
  
Tim chuckles weakly and lets Jason pull him up into a sitting position. He's soon got a mask on and a pair of shorts from the backpack he's been carrying around for the last three nights.   
  
All the while, Jason shields him from view to give him some modicum of privacy while he gets dressed and collects himself.   
  
Finally as presentable as he's going to get in a damp alley, Tim stands on shaky legs. "Thanks," he says quietly. It feels strange to speak again.   
  
"You'd do the same for me," Jason offers in reply, a crooked smile on his face. "Ready to face your audience?"  
  
"Yeah."   
  
Jason steps to the side, revealing the almost hovering Zatara and Lily.   
  
"That was one of the more disturbing things I've ever seen, Robin," Zatara says. "I could _see_ the magic unraveling."  
  
"Try experiencing it," Tim rasps out. His voice is definitely off and he clears his throat.   
  
"Pass," the former Titan replies with a wink.   
  
"Red Robin?" Lily asks carefully, her eyes wide at Tim's disheveled everything.   
  
"Yeah, it's me. I didn't mean to scare you like that." Tim smiles gently at the little girl. He notices her eyes are a bright green.   
  
"I'm sorry!" Her little hands tighten into tiny fists. She's so small.   
  
"It's all right," Tim tries to soothe her. "I'm human again and have quite the story to tell my friends later."  
  
Lily sniffs, and a tear starts making its way down her dirty face, leaving a smudged trail behind.   
  
"Hey, no crying now, kiddo," Jason chimes in. "No harm, no foul."  
  
The little girl could do with a hug, Tim thinks, but after his last experience with touching her, he holds back.   
  
Jason, however, takes that fatal step forward. Lily launches herself at him, wrapping her arms around a leg as she sobs into his jeans.   
  
Zatara makes a strangled noise as the white light emanates from the little girl while Tim just sighs and waits, knowing what's coming next.   
  
From the look on Jason's face, he's realized what he's just done and tries to hug the girl anyways. "No worries, kid," he forces out through the pain. "I'll be back to normal soon enough."  
  
Lily cries even harder but doesn't let go.   
  
It's not long before she's forced to as Jason drops to the ground, unconscious.   
  
"I...I don't mean to!" she cries.   
  
Zatara finally steps in and pats the girl on her matted head. "This is why we're going to teach you how to control your powers," he says calmly.   
  
Tim eyes him warily but nothing happens. The white light doesn't appear and Zatara stays human. "Let me guess," he says dryly, "you're immune."  
  
"Of course," the magician proclaims. "How can we teach her if she's constantly turning us into dogs?"  
  
Sometimes, Tim really hates his friend. "You could have stepped in."  
  
"I could have. But I was curious to see what it looks like when the spell is going into place too. Seeing it unravel only does so much. It'll help with her training." Zatara smirks and gives Lily a smile. "Ready to go?"  
  
She sniffs and nods. Looking up at Tim, she asks, "Will you take care of Red Hood?"  
  
"Of course," he replies and kneels down to her level, giving her a tired smile. "He took care of me, so it's only fair."  
  
"Okay. Bye, Red Robin." Lily tries to smile back, then turns to follow Zatara, accepting the outstretched hand the young man offers her.   
  
Tim watches them leave, then turns his attention to Jason. He pulls off the man's clothes to reveal a rather large dog. Sighing, Tim sits back on his heels and stares. In the dim light creeping into the alley from the streets and the backdoor light of the diner, Jason looks to be some kind of large bulldog between that barrel of a chest, the square face, and the short black and white fur.   
  
He shakes his head as he tries to muddle out how he's going to get them all home. He’s in no condition to carry such a massive dog along with all of Jason’s gear. There wasn’t a t-shit in his backpack, so Tim puts on Jason’s (quietly wishing his human sense of smell could pick up all the intriguing subtleties of Jason’s scent). Digging through Jason's jacket pocket, he finds his phone.   
  
Tim grins. Time to call the Redbird to the rescue.   
  
*****

Jason wakes up slowly. He _hurts_. His body aches in places he didn't even know he had and that's saying something, considering some of the times he's woken up in screwball places with various aches and pains (broken bones, flash burns, internal organ failure). He remembers helping Tim after he changed back to his normal self, trying not to look at all that pale, scarred skin.   
  
Tim. And then the girl...  
  
Oh shit.   
  
Jason moans as it all comes back. What a dumbass thing to do, he berates himself.   
  
A hand starts gently stroking at his head. "You finally waking up, Jason? We're at my apartment. Or rather, under my apartment down in my workroom," Tim says quietly as he pets him. "I had to call my car to come get us. I'm exhausted and you're heavy."  
  
Trying to move is an exercise in futility but Jason at least manages to get his eyes open to stare up at Tim. The angle is strange and seeing things through a dog's eyes is just messed up. Now he gets why Tim had such a hard time that first night moving around.   
  
"Hey," the Replacement says and rubs behind an ear.   
  
Jason decides he likes this. The touch isn't just welcoming. It's relaxing and conveys a sense of trust and reassurance. He whines and tries to bury his face into Tim's leg.   
  
Laughing now, Tim runs a hand over his neck and down his back before returning to his head. "Whine twice if you know you're Jason Todd."  
  
Turn about is fair play. He gives his Replacement a doggy grin and whines twice.   
  
"Figured as much but thought it best to ask. Lily wammied you good."  
  
Ugh. That was putting it mildly.   
  
"The shift back isn't that pleasant either. I still hurt in places I didn't think could hurt." Tim echoes Jason's earlier thoughts. "I got us home, but I'm too tired to carry you upstairs. When you figure out how to walk, we'll head up."  
  
Jason takes in their surroundings.   
  
They're in the backseat of a car. Not just any car, but _Tim's car_. _The Redbird_. Under normal circumstances, he'd be busting a nut trying to get under the hood of this baby (he's been wanting to ever since he saw the baby bird driving this gorgeous piece of machinery down the streets of Gotham) but he's pooped and he can _smell_ the exhaustion rolling off Tim.   
  
Shifting around again, Jason starts moving his legs and tail, trying to figure out how things work.   
  
Tim opens the door and gets out, grabbing his backpack and a bundle of leather that Jason determines is his clothes and the gear he had on earlier.   
  
He's doubly glad he wore a domino tonight rather than his red helmet. A shudder runs through him at the thought of trying to get that off over his new head.   
  
"Need a hand?" Tim asks. "The car's pretty low to the ground but you probably remember how I was stumbling around for the first couple hours."  
  
Yeah he does and now he feels a little bad about laughing so hard about it.   
  
Tim helps him out. When he stands on four shaky legs, he takes a moment to look around. He's never been in the Replacement's version of the Batcave either.   
  
It's much like things are upstairs, Jason decides. New, modern, and well lit compared to the perpetual gloom of the real deal. They're in the garage section and he can't help but _drool_ at the motorcycle parked next to the car.   
  
Replacement has all the good toys. He wonders if he plays nice if he'll have a chance to play with them too.   
  
Tim chuckles tiredly at the actual drool dripping from Jason's mouth. "While I was waiting for you to wake up, I took a picture of you and sent it to my computer to see what kind of dog you are. You're not a lab, that's for sure. It came back with American bulldog. One of the quirks of the breed is that you drool. A lot."  
  
Jason licks his chops. He can tell already this little _quirk_ is going to piss Tim off.   
  
"Wherever you decide to sleep, I'll lay a towel down for you to drool on." Tim sets their gear aside on a workbench and beckons to him. "It's easier to just go for it. You'll figure out the tail soon enough."  
  
He starts walking away.   
  
There's only one place Jason plans on sleeping. And to get there, he needs to learn how to walk, as well as navigate stairs.   
  
This is gonna be a pain in his ass.   
  
By the time the two of them make it up to the main level of Tim's apartment, Jason's staggering. Which sucks because something else is rearing its ugly head. He refuses to be the one who accidentally pees in the house.   
  
He'll never hear the end of it if he does.   
  
Luckily, Tim seems to get the clue before he even has a chance to do anything. "Bathroom?" he asks. "Better do it now before we tackle the next set of stairs."  
  
Jason sighs and follows Tim to the front door and outside.   
  
Yeah, all joking aside, now he feels ridiculous.   
  
Tim gives him some water when they get back inside. "I think the ache is so bad because we're dehydrated," he comments as he downs a water bottle while Jason chases the metal mixing bowl he used as Tim's water dish around the kitchen trying to drink. He keeps accidentally pushing it with his snout.   
  
It's not until he's done that he catches Tim putting his phone away.   
  
Was he recording him? Jason glares and growls but they both know he's too tired to do more. Tim smirks tiredly but doesn't say anything.   
  
Okay, so he probably deserves that. He caught a few good moments of the black lab on his phone too.

Jason follows Tim slowly up the next flight of stairs and down the hall. The Replacement grabs a towel from a linen closet and enters his room. He’s almost overwhelmed by the scent of _Tim_. Yeah, he’s been smelling it since he woke up, but it’s strongest here.

It makes him wonder what else Tim gets up to in here when he’s alone.

Tim straightens the blankets on the bed (Jason’s had just the sheet for the nights he spent here while canine-Tim had taken over the comforter; they still managed to meet in the middle when they woke up, with Tim almost always plastered along Jason’s side and taking up as much space as he could) and lays down the towel.

He gives Jason a wry look. “I know you’re going to make yourself comfortable the way you want to, but try to keep your head on the towel. Washing this blanket is a pain in the ass.” With that, Tim turns and heads towards his bathroom, slipping off his shorts as he does.

Jason stares, trying to decide if the Replacement is doing this on _purpose_ , watching that lean body walk away. The shirt he’s wearing is big on him (and hides much more than it reveals) and it suddenly dawns on him that the t-shirt the young man is wearing is _his_. There hadn’t been enough space in the backpack to fit more than a pair of loose shorts, shoes, a mask, and Tim’s collapsible bo-staff.

Tim enters the bathroom and turns on the light. As he pushes the door shut with his foot, he _smirks_ at Jason and starts taking off the shirt.

The door closes before Jason gets to see anything else.

He huffs in exasperation. The baby bird is playing with him. _Teasing him_. Fuck that, he’s _taunting him_. He _knew_ what Jason had done in his shower that first night (and the second night, and the third). Jason wracks his brain trying to remember if he ever said Tim’s name or some variation of it out loud and can’t.

Dammit.

But…if he’s playing and teasing him right back, that means he’s interested.

Right?

Jason perks up at this thought. For now though, he’s too tired to push Tim’s buttons (he knows he can do it just as easily in this form as he can with two legs) and he jumps up on the bed, nosing around the blanket and towel before he decides fuck it and flops down in a heap.

He does keep his senses trained on the bathroom, but other than the moan Tim let out when he stepped into the shower, he’s been quiet. Jason can relate. He’s exhausted and as much as he wants to mess with Tim’s head, he can’t. Not right now. He dozes off to the sound of the shower, only stirring when Tim slips into bed next to him. Jason shifts closer, pressing his back against Tim’s. The man reaches back and awkwardly pats the dog’s flank.

In moments, they’re both sound asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a little stinker. :P :D :P 
> 
> Raise your hand if you saw this coming! Next chapter will be Monday!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still blown away by how much people are enjoying this story. Thank you all for your wonderful comments and kudos!

Early the next afternoon, Tim decides the best thing about being human again (besides his shower) is _coffee_. He curls up against the arm of his sofa, mug in hand, and takes another sip. The heavenly aroma teases his nose as he sets the mug down on the end table next to the sofa. 

Next to him, Jason’s sprawled out, taking up the rest of the space on the cushions. Earlier, he’d finagled the dog onto his scale in the bathroom, curious to see what he actually weighs in at. In canine form, Jason came in at an impressive 105 pounds, which was right in the healthy range for his breed. His big head rests on Tim’s thigh. 

Tim scrolls through his phone, reading all the messages he’s missed over the last few days. Jason had read them all to him, but the only one he replied to was that almost frantic message from Dick. He takes another sip of coffee and sighs. 

“I know I need to talk to Dick, but I really don’t want to.” 

Jason gives him a curious look. 

“You don’t know the full story, do you?” Tim asks, idly stroking the dog’s head as he stares at his phone. 

One whine, more of a grunt really. 

“I moved on after Bruce came back. Damian stayed Robin, and Dick switched back and forth between Batman and Nightwing. Steph did her thing with Babs and Cass was in Hong Kong. Of all of them, I was closest to Cass,” he explains. “Late last year though, Dick started making noises about wanting to be Nightwing full time again, which is totally his prerogative. That meant Bruce needed to stay in Gotham more.” 

It had been an interesting time, that’s for certain. Tim remembers well the fights that arose again between Bruce and Dick over responsibilities, the mission, and then finally, Damian. For the first time in a while, Tim felt bad for the little brat, being caught up between the two men as he was. 

Damian was Dick’s protégé, there was no mistaking that. But Damian had (still has for that matter) a father complex and a driving need to be accepted by Bruce (by everyone). In the end, the kid had been forced to choose between his true mentor and his father. It was a no-brainer who he’d chosen and it broke Dick’s heart. 

Tim did not envy him that position. He’d tried to keep out of it, but had unfortunately been there that night in the Cave a few months ago when Dick forced him to take a side, hoping Tim would give weight and validity to his argument through his usually impeccable logic. 

He did, telling Bruce to his face that he needs to stay in Gotham more and take care of his responsibilities here, including his family. Dick’s grin had been blinding. But when he was done chewing out Bruce, Tim had turned on him, telling Dick in no uncertain terms he didn’t appreciate being put on the spot and being used in his battle against their mentor. 

Then, he did what he always knew he’d do when forced into a position like this. After he ripped Dick to shreds, he’d turned and walked out of the Cave. 

“And I haven’t been back since,” he finishes, picking at the fuzz on the arm of the sofa and avoiding Jason’s gaze. “Dick and I talk, and I do with Bruce too, though Alfred had to mediate that a bit before he would even approach me. I do my own thing though and have for a while. I work with who I want and I’m not afraid to ask for help if I’m in over my head. I’m a lot of things, but I refuse to be Bruce.” 

He’d been compared to him enough. He’s his own person and to hell with what the others say. 

Jason rolls over, lying on his belly now, and gazes soulfully up at Tim. He starts whining, a rapid torrent that he quickly stops once he realizes the sounds aren’t words. He grunts in frustration. 

Tim smiles softly and rubs behind the white ear. Jason has some interesting markings, one of which is that half his head is white and the other side is black. It’s almost like he’s wearing a half mask on his face. 

“I know, it’s annoying as hell not to be able to say what you want. Going back to Dick though, he’s been trying to make things up to me.” Tim sighs and leans back into the soft cushions of the sofa. “I don’t know, Jason. Sometimes I feel like I’m just _done_ with everything. There are weeks when I don’t go out as Red Robin at all. I’ll go downstairs and Babs and I will get our nerd on and take down international crime rings for fun, racing to see who can get in faster (she almost always wins, by the way). Other times I’ll leave Gotham for a month or two, help Cass with whatever she has going on, then go spend some time with Kon, Bart, and Cassie at the Tower.” 

He closes his eyes, feeling the start of one of his tension headaches. He’s getting worked up over nothing, he knows it, but this is the first time he’s vocalized any of this to someone. Even if that someone is currently a man he’s had a _thing_ for since he was twelve. He couldn’t help himself last night; even as tired as he was, he couldn’t resist the chance to tease Jason for once.

The intent gaze the dog had on him as he closed the bathroom door gave him a quiet thrill. Perhaps tonight he’ll explore that a bit more when he showers (turnabout is fair play after all). 

Jason woofs. Opening his eyes, Tim sees the dog is right in his face, having stood up somehow on the sofa without him noticing. 

Tim reaches out and rubs the black ear this time. “This isn’t anything you need to worry about. I’ll figure out how to deal with Dick on my own.” 

The black and white dog licks his chops, catching a string of drool in the process. He then grins and licks Tim, leaving a wet stripe up his face from chin to forehead. 

“Jason!” Tim shouts and shoves at the dog, not having expected that in the slightest. 

The dog jumps off the sofa, landing gracefully on the floor and grins unrepentantly. 

Tim can’t help it. He starts laughing, loud and long as Jason gives him this _look_ that clearly tells him to get over it. 

“Fine, you win.” He shakes his head and finishes his coffee. “You going to be okay for awhile? I need to go run some errands, get some food for us.” He gives Jason a pointed look. “I do actually do my own grocery shopping and I _can_ cook. I had my list all ready to go and then I turned into a dog.” 

Jason barks, obviously remembering the jabs he’d taken at Tim’s culinary and overall adulting skills. He jumps back up on the sofa and flops down, closing his eyes. 

Tim takes that as a sign to get going. 

Later on, he wanders up and down the aisles of the grocery store, enjoying the time to himself and doing something so urbanely _normal_. He pulls out his phone again, reading the most recent message from Dick. He’d replied back finally, telling the man again that he’s busy and doesn’t have time to meet up like he wants. 

Dick: _UR always busy, lil’ brother. RU patrolling 2nite?_

The oldest Robin is horrible at texting. Jason had spent a good deal of time laughing about it. 

To be honest, he’s not sure if he’s patrolling tonight. Red Robin should be seen on the streets again, but it’s not a necessity. Especially now that he has a canine companion to deal with. Still…Tim stares off into space as he grabs a few jars of spaghetti sauce from the shelf and adds them to his cart. It’s not a bad idea. He could do with a run and it would be a good exercise for Jason in learning how to control his new form and adapt to his new senses. 

Decision made, Tim finishes up his shopping. He has one more stop to make before he goes home. 

*****

Jason stares incredulously at the collar Tim holds out in front of him. He gets why he needs one and all that, but this is ridiculous. 

He snorts and turns his head away. 

“Come on, you made me wear one and I didn’t give you this much crap about it,” Tim tries to cajole him. 

He glances back at the simple red collar. It isn’t so much the collar that bugs him, it’s the _tag_. Or rather, the _name_ that is engraved on the simple dog bone shaped tag. 

Spock. 

_Really?_ The look he shoots Tim says it all. 

“You named me after one of your favorite characters, so I get to do the same thing.” Tim settles back on his heels and waits. 

Jason’s determined to make him wait all night, but then the Replacements tosses out one more thing to sweeten the deal. 

“You get to ride in the front seat of the Redbird. I’ll even leave the window down for you.”

Fuck. Heaving a massive sigh, Jason lets Tim put the collar on him. 

Later, as they drive out of Tim’s cave, he decides wearing the collar is worth it if he gets to ride shotgun in the Redbird. Tim’s car is fucking _sweet_. He wonders what he’ll have to do to get a chance to drive it. 

After the promised drive, they hit the streets. As they left earlier, Tim had said he needed to check with a few people on another case he’d been working before he got changed into a dog. Since this is Jason’s first night out, he’s supposed to lay low, though he can get his growl and menacing act on if he thinks it’s needed. He moped about that at first, but then understood why once they started traversing the streets on foot. 

Gotham fucking _stinks_. He always knew it before, but now he’s got proof if he ever wanted it. But as the night progresses, he finds he’s able to make some headway over his enhanced sense of smell. The one scent he clings to is Tim’s. It helps him focus and acts as an anchor before he’s washed away. 

He understands much better now why Tim kept so close their first night out. 

Still, Jason does find some small moments in which he enjoys himself. Most of them involve watching the Replacement do a surprisingly good impersonation of Batman, scaring the crap out of people to get what he wants rather than beating the shit out of them like he’d do. He shouldn’t be surprised that the Robin tradition of impersonating Batman lives on in Red Robin. Hell, even the demon brat probably does it. 

The other moment arrives in the form of Dick. 

He and Tim are almost to the Redbird when Nightwing suddenly lands right in front of them. The Replacement has his bo-staff out and ready so fast it’s almost like an extension of his arm. Jason crouches to his left and snarls, an instinctive reaction for being startled. 

Dick holds up his hands, much like he had with Tim the other night. “Hey there, little brother. Think you can call off your dog too?” 

The bo-staff collapses back in on itself and Tim tucks it away before he kneels and rests on gauntleted glove on Jason’s shoulder. He stills instantly. “Let’s mess with his head a bit, shall we?” he says very quietly, but Jason can smell the amusement running off him in waves. 

Fuck with the Dick-bird’s head? Hell yes. 

“Too?” Tim asks innocently. “Who else have you run into tonight with a dog?” 

“Not tonight,” Dick replies, adopting a more relaxed stance, but still keeping a wary eye on Jason. “I ran into Jason two nights ago, roof running with a black lab. Said he was using him for your slasher case.” 

“Oh, you mean Darcy,” Tim replies matter of factly as he stands. Jason sits next to him. “Yeah, he and Jason found the guy actually. That dog has a good nose.” 

Jason snorts. He can’t help it. Hopefully Dick will think he’s sneezing. 

“So is this big guy from the same kennel?” the oldest Robin asks. “Jay implied that Darcy was… _special_ …in some way. He must be as I’ve never seen a dog do what he was doing. Even the dog act when I was a kid at Haly’s didn’t perform to that level.” 

Tim hedges. “I wouldn’t know if Spock here can jump roofs like Darcy. He’s a bit heavy to easily get top-side.” 

Dick laughs easily. “I can see that. He’s a massive dog, but it doesn’t look like an ounce of that is fat. So you don’t think he’s _special_ then?” 

The emphasis on the word isn’t missed by either of them, though Jason is pissed to think that he’s not special. He’s every dog owner’s _dream_. He makes a mental note to try and pee on Dick’s boot before they part ways. 

“Spock is special,” Tim replies, resting a gloved hand on Jason’s head and stroking an ear. “He’s _my_ dog.” 

And now Jason wants to melt. There had been an undertone of ferocity to Tim’s words he’s pretty sure the boob standing in front of them hadn’t picked up on. He leans against Tim’s leg, bucking his head up for more attention. 

Tim huffs a small laugh at the action, but complies, running his hand over Jason’s short fur. 

“All right then,” Dick replies, apparently ready to move on to other things. “Did Jason say anything to you about where he found his lab? What that dog could do was pretty impressive.” 

“Darcy and Spock did come from the same place,” Tim replies, all business again. “We think they escaped, though Spock hasn’t shown any signs yet of being able to do what Darcy does.” 

If Jason could tell his Replacement to fuck off, he would. It’s his first night out, dammit. 

“But he was also injured when we found him, so I’ve been taking care of him. This is his first night out.” 

Nice lie. He’s been smelling them all night from people who think they can get away with it, so he can pick up when someone tells one now. With Tim, there’s barely a shift in his scent when he does. 

He wonders if the Replacement has ever lied to Batman and gotten away with it. 

“That explains a few things then.” Dick looks down at Jason. “This guy seems like a dog Jason would like better.” 

Tim smirks. “He seemed pretty taken with Darcy from the start.” 

So very true. Tim wasn’t half bad as a dog. 

“Do you need a hand with tracking down these guys? If there is someone genetically modifying dogs, then it stands to reason they could be doing it with other animals too.” 

Hook, line, and sinker. Jason is pleased his little story (or lack thereof, he really didn’t say much, just let Dick’s imagination take flight) has provided such fertile ground for Tim to elaborate on. 

“Thanks, but Jason and I got this.” Tim runs a hand over Jason’s head and scratches behind one of his ears. “With some help.” 

“Okay, well, I’m here if you need me.” Dick makes an attempt to try and reach out to Tim, but Jason stands up and growls in warning. The story he was told earlier comes to mind, but in all honesty, he doesn’t want Dick (or anyone) touching what’s _his_. 

Because Tim is. At least for however long it takes to change back. 

Hands held up again, Dick takes a step back again and shakes his head. “Darcy did almost the same thing to me the other night. Dogs normally like me.” 

Tim just smiles a little secretive smile. “I said he’s special. Good night,” he says as he walks past Dick. 

Jason tries to pee on Dick’s boot as he passes, but he doesn’t quite have enough control yet to coordinate it. He hits his leg instead, which is even better in his book since Dick shouts in surprise as the warm stream drips down _into_ his boot. “What the hell? Tim!” 

The Replacement ignores him and opens the front door to the Redbird. Jason hops in. 

It’s not until there’s about two blocks between them and Dick that he starts cracking up. “Oh my God, Jason! I can’t believe you did that!” 

Jason snorts and holds his head high, feeling rather proud of himself. He knew he’d be able to push buttons in this body. Nice to see they’re not just Tim’s. 

*****

After the short patrol is over, Tim leaves Jason to his own devices while he follows up on some things in his workroom (he refuses to call it a cave; he at least as proper ventilation and lighting). Before the slicer case, he’d been trying to track down a shipment of guns he heard a rumor about from an informant. He’d put some feelers out, but hadn’t heard anything until tonight.

But according to the information in front of him, plus what he learned on patrol earlier, he’s going to have to hit the streets again tonight. The delivery is occurring in two days at the Cape Carmine wharfs but what he doesn’t know is _when._

“Dammit,” he mutters, glaring up at the screen. He’d really wanted to just kick back and watch a movie with Jason cuddled up against him, but it looks like duty calls. 

“Hey, Jason!” Tim shouts, hoping he actually comes when called. He knows the bulldog is down here somewhere, probably nosing around over by the car and his motorcycle (Alfred had told him Jason was born with a wrench in his hand, that he was absolutely incredible with mechanics). 

No reply. 

“Something’s come up and I need to go back out.” 

This time, Jason comes trotting up to him, a quizzical expression on his face. 

Tim explains about the weapons shipment. “I need to see if I can find the time the boat’s supposed to arrive. For that, I need its’ name.” 

Jason whines, low and long, before stopping, then tries again. 

It’s an odd sound and Tim wonders what exactly Jason’s trying to say. He takes a shot in the dark and guesses. “Do you know anything about the shipment?” 

Two quick barks. 

Jackpot. Tim grins. “Do you know the time?” 

One bark. 

“Do you know the name of the ship the delivery’s on?” 

Two barks. 

Tim sighs and sits back on his heels. “Well, shit.” Its not like Jason can tell him, but then he remembers the password game they had played the first night. Same concept. He tries something else first. “Do you have it written in your files at all?” 

One bark, along with a look that clearly says _what files?_

“Okay, password game it is. Or…” Tim trails off as an idea comes to him. “One second.” He gets up and grabs a legal pad and a black marker. 

Sitting back down on the floor, he quickly draws out the alphabet and lays each letter on the floor. “Maybe this will go faster,” he says and gets ready to take down each letter Jason points to. 

Several minutes later, Tim is plugging in the _Constantinople_ into his search parameters at his computer. Jason’s sitting on the floor watching closely. 

A moment later, the information appears. “Okay, so the official manifesto says it’s scheduled to dock on Sunday morning, but my intel says Saturday night. Does that match what you’ve heard?” 

Two woofs. 

Tim glares at the screen in front of them. Sitting at the docks on a Saturday night waiting for a ship to arrive did not sound like a lot of fun. Not that he’s known for having a ton of fun in the first place, but still. 

He looks down at Jason. “If you can get your coordination under control, you can come with.” 

Jason jumps up into the chair and gives him another big slobbery lick across the face. 

“Dammit, Jason!” 

Later on as they watch the movie Tim queued up, he idly pets the big dog lying next to him. Jason’s sprawled out on the sofa again, taking up most of it, but he’s on his back with his head smashed up against Tim’s thigh. If Jason were in human form, it would be his head in Tim’s lap and his hand running through Jason’s unruly dark hair. 

The thought is not disturbing at all. 

Glancing down at the snoozing dog yet again, Tim wonders exactly how he came to be in this position in the first place. Or rather, how he and Jason got to be so comfortable around each other in such a short period of time. He knows desire has something to do with it, at least on his side, but deep down, he thinks it’s something more. Something instinctual that carried over from his time as a Labrador that’s still lurking in his psyche somewhere. 

He _trusts_ Jason. That has to be it as it certainly wasn’t there before. For whatever reason, Jason didn’t bail on him when he changed. Instead, he brought him home, _stayed_ until he woke up, and then went on to take care of him and keep an eye on him for the next four days until he changed back. The older man had no reason to do so, but he _did_ , even if it was just out of curiosity. 

And now, Tim finds himself in a similar spot, and with an equally receptive and affectionate Jason. While he never licked the man, Jason has no problem doing it to him. 

It once again gives him hope that maybe, just _maybe_ , they can be something more. 

He has a pretty good idea on how to test it too. 

*****

Jason follows Tim upstairs after the movie’s over. He’d slept through most of it, which kinda sucked since it was one he wanted to see, but the lull of the comfortable sofa and Tim’s long fingers stroking his fur had put him out pretty fast. 

He’s curious as to how the next few minutes are going to play out. Tim had mentioned he was going to take a shower first before going to bed. There’s a scent of _anticipation_ on him. 

He would bet his favorite gun that he knows what the baby bird is going to do. 

This little game of cat and mouse they’ve been playing is entertaining as hell, but he would much rather have hands to jerk off with. His tongue is all well and good, but it’s just not as satisfying (he’d experimented earlier in the day while Tim was out running errands). Now if he could only put both his hands and his tongue to good use together, he’d be able to make the baby bird _sing_. 

In the bedroom, Tim replaces Jason’s towel with a fresh one from the laundry he did earlier. “I’ll be a little bit,” is all he says as he walks to the bathroom, this time pulling his shirt off first and tossing it in his laundry hamper before he makes it to the bathroom door. He kicks it closed behind him before Jason can get a peek at anything else. 

Dammit. 

Still, that’s some nice muscle his Replacement has there. He’s built more lean than him or Bruce (heck, even Dick can pack on the muscle when he wants to), but what he just saw, as well as the legs he saw last night, is nothing to be ashamed of. He should know, he’s been on the receiving end of Tim’s punches for years. 

What he lacks in sheer strength, he makes up for in cunning. 

The shower starts and Jason lies down and waits. He can be patient when he wants to. 

He’s rewarded after several minutes when the scent of Tim’s arousal hits his nose. He growls low in his throat and inches his way closer to the bathroom door. The scent is tantalizing. Did he smell like this to Tim when he was getting himself off? What would it smell like if the shower wasn’t diluting it?

Jason stops when his nose hits the bottom of the closed door. He blinks, not even realizing he’s made his way across most of the room. Dammit, he’s never wished for _hands_ this badly before, because if he had them, he’d be opening that damn door to see if Tim wants a playmate. 

Even in this form, he hardens at the thought. Sitting up, Jason looks down at his little problem (or not so little, he’s a big dog) and considers it. Why not? He’s got the time. 

*****

In the shower, Tim leans back against the cool tile. He’s got a soapy hand around his cock, stroking hard and another questing behind him, teasing, but not quite penetrating his entrance. In his mind, Jason’s on his knees in front of him, his mouth full as he takes in Tim’s length. It’s his finger that’s teasing him to higher heights. 

He wants so badly for this to be real. It’s gone beyond some faceless shadow in the night (always with a Robin’s laugh that starts bright and loud that deepens into something darker as he gets closer and closer to the edge). The very fact that Jason is in his bedroom waiting for him, _smelling him_ , has him peaking faster than he usually does. 

Tim gasps as he spills over his fingers, the Jason in his mind smirking as he raises his hand to lick his fingers. 

“Jason,” he breathes quietly before he catches himself, snapping his mouth shut as he realizes what he just did. 

Well, if there was any doubt in Jason’s mind before about what Tim wants, it’s gone now. There’s no chance he didn’t catch that, not if he was paying attention. He remembers quite well what the man’s scent was like while he was in the shower; it was even more intoxicating when the bathroom door opened. 

Trying to suppress a boner as a dog was difficult. But no way in hell he was going to sleep somewhere else. 

Just as he’s not going to kick Jason out of his room now. 

Tim rinses himself off one final time (oh blessed shower with the perfect water pressure and most amazing showerhead in the history of ever) and turns off the water. He takes a deep breath and lets it out, steeling himself for what’s to come. 

Drying off, he wraps the towel around his waist and brushes his teeth. Then, and only then, does he open the door. 

Jason is sitting right in front of the door. It’s hard to say he looks anything but _smug_. 

Tim opens his mouth to say something, anything, but Jason stands up and gives him the dog version of his normal roguish grin. He noses at the towel around his waist. 

Words finally return to Tim. “You did it too,” he retorts and grabs hold of the towel. “I could _smell_ it.” 

Two woofs. He noses some more at the towel. 

“Back off, you goofball. I never did that to you.” He should have, but wouldn’t let himself (not as a dog, god there were just so many things wrong with that). 

The dog continues to grin, but gives Tim some space. 

He stalks across the room to his dresser and grabs a pair of sleep shorts. In the summer, he doesn’t like to wear much to bed, even with his air conditioner keeping things comfortable. Dropping the towel, he slips on the shorts quickly, well aware of the eyes watching him. 

Let him. Tim’s got nothing to be ashamed of. 

Picking up the towel, he takes it back to the bathroom to hang up. When he returns, Jason’s up on the bed already, dark eyes staring intently at him. 

Tim crawls into bed, pulling cool cotton sheets over his still warm body. The feeling is wonderful and relaxing and he settles down into what he considers the pinnacle of luxury. 

Next to him, he hears Jason huff and shuffle over until he’s plastered against Tim’s back, his warmth radiating in a way that he finds equally comforting. 

“Good night, Jason,” he whispers. 

A lick on the back of his neck is his reply.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I need to say it now, but Thursday will be the next update. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Jason follows close on Tim’s heels two nights later as they make their way down to the docks at Cape Carmine. It amuses him immensely that if things had gone down normally, he and the Replacement would have run into each other tonight too, both intent on taking down the same gun running assholes. 

He hopes none of the others show up. This is his first real night out on patrol and he would very much like it to be just him and Tim. He’s spent the last couple of nights working on his agility (something that seems to have abandoned him completely in this new body) and figuring out the intricacies of his new nose. Tim was a big help with both, even if some of the games he came up with were a little too close to regular games a dog would play with their owner (fetch? Really, Tim?). 

Though he did like tug-of-war. He almost always won that one. 

Before they went out tonight, Tim had taken a rag dampened with some wash-out hair dye to darken the white patches on his face and along his back. They were more gray now than anything else, but still better than the bright white of his hide standing out. He blended in with the shadows, even with the backpack strapped on in the event he suddenly changed back. Tim had warned him about what it felt like, so he was prepared. Tonight is technically night three, so he’s probably not going to shift back yet, but better safe than sorry. 

Though he does wish he could pull the trigger of the gun he’s toting in that backpack. Tim had packed a 9 millimeter for him, along with a pair of shorts, his domino, and some shoes. There wasn’t room for much in that bag, not with his sneakers (he has big feet, dammit) taking up so much space. They’d gone back to Jason’s apartment yesterday to get the shoes and shorts, everything else is from what he’d been packing the night he fucked up and hugged Lily. 

He hopes he gets to bite someone tonight. That would almost make up for the fact that he can’t shoot them. With all the freight cranes and storage containers around, having him as a sniper up high would be fan-fucking-tastic right about now. 

They make their way through the maze of freight containers. It would be easier if they were up high, but while Tim can land quietly as he jumps the gaps, Jason can’t, even with booted feet (they’d experimented the night before). Completely and utterly graceless, though he had no issues with the heights or the jump itself. He still botched every leap, landing with a resounding _thud_ that echoed through the empty containers. 

The Replacement recorded a few of them too, the little shit. 

Still, Jason knows very well that he’s a liability here tonight and that Tim’s taking a massive chance entering on foot like this. He’s bound and determined not to be. 

He really hopes he gets to bite someone. 

A tall looming figure dressed all in black steps out of the shadows in front of them. 

Oh, he’ll do just fine. Jason bares his teeth, but doesn’t make a sound. Tim stops, and he too doesn’t make a sound. He’s not surprised, that much the bulldog can smell. 

“Red Robin,” Bruce says grimly. 

“Batman,” Tim replies quietly. 

“Nightwing and Robin are ahead of me. You’ll stand down tonight. We’ll handle this.” 

The Replacement doesn’t so much as twitch, but Jason can suddenly smell the rage and frustration coming from him. He can relate as he and Bruce don’t have the best of relationships either (what relationship, all they do is avoid each other and pretend the other doesn’t exist). 

“This is part of my territory, Batman,” Tim tries instead. “Technically mine and Red Hood’s if you want to split hairs. I didn’t ask for assistance.” 

“Nightwing informed me of your current responsibility.” Jason gets the distinct feeling he’s being stared at by the big guy. “Bringing an untrained and unproven animal out into the field is a mistake I’m surprised to see you make.” 

Just to show Bruce how much of a mistake Jason is not, he doesn’t snarl as he crouches down and gets ready to leap. Tim’s hand snaps out and grabs him by the collar before he can. “Stay,” he orders. 

Jason drops to the ground, glaring at Tim, at _Bruce_. More than anything, he doesn’t want to give the game away. This whole fucked up adventure started with him and Tim and it’s damn well going to end that way. 

“He’s much smarter than you’re giving him credit for,” Tim replies. 

“And I normally credit you with that same intelligence. Go home, we’ll take it from here.” 

Tim is _seething_ from his scent, but he’s still in the number two running for the world’s best poker face. Even Jason recognizes and appreciates just how smart his replacement is. The fact that Bruce is saying all this to his face is insane. From the big guy’s scent, he’s mad too, but not the same kind of upset as Tim. His has a hint of…is that disappointment? 

“Batman,” Tim tries one last time, but Bruce cuts him off. 

“Go home. You’re lucky I don’t take the dog from you.” 

Oh that does it. To hell with this. 

Jason leaps again, this time without any warning, snarling as he does. He knows he doesn’t have a chance in hell at biting through Bruce’s armor (he’d break a tooth if he tried), but if he manages to hit him at the right angle, he can knock him on his ass from the force of impact. 

Maybe it’s the narrow space they’re in, maybe fate is finally turning her smiling face on Jason for once, or maybe it’s the slick ground from the rain earlier tonight, but he does it. He hits Bruce full force just below his throat, knocking him off balance. As he tries to recover, Jason snaps his head up and connects solidly with the underside of his jaw. The blow shocks him more than anything and he goes down. 

Jason follows, riding Bruce as they hit the ground. As soon as they stop, he springs off Bruce's chest and returns to Tim’s side and sits, feeling pretty fucking proud of himself. 

Who’s special now, fucker? 

“I’d like to see you try,” Tim says to Bruce, who has already regained his feet. “I don’t think this is going to end on a better note, so fuck you and stay out of my business. Spock, come.” With that, Tim turns and walks away. 

Jason growls one last time at Bruce and quickly follows. 

They make their way back through the freight container maze. As they get to the Redbird, Tim stops short. “Jason,” he says quietly. “Look.” He points. 

The Batmobile is parked not even fifty feet away. 

The bulldog lifts his leg slightly, just enough to give voice to his thoughts. 

Tim grins and pulls out the phone he uses on patrol. “Give me a second to turn off the alarms.” 

Jacking the tires from the Batmobile had been pretty damn satisfying. But pissing on the driver’s side door definitely ranks up there too. He almost wishes he had to take a shit because leaving a steaming pile in the front seat would have been perfect. 

He returns to Tim, still feeling very pleased with himself. Tim kneels down and clasps his face in his gloved hands, bringing them face-to-face. “You were so perfect back there,” he says and lets go, only to wrap his arms around the dog’s neck. “I recorded the whole thing.” 

Jason preens and leans into the hug. Tonight didn’t turn out so bad after all. 

*****

Tim fumes over his coffee the next morning down in his workroom. It’s a pretty even toss up at this point between whether he’s madder at Dick or Bruce. The whole debacle last night was only made palatable by what Jason had managed to pull of. 

Seeing Bruce go down under a hundred pounds of snarling bulldog was pretty damn satisfying. He’s already cleaned up the recording from his cowl camera and is thinking about making a GIF out of it. 

He takes another sip of coffee and thinks. 

There’s a very real chance that Bruce will come after Jason now. No normal dog could do what he’d pulled last night. And if Dick had told him about Spock, then he’d also spoken up about Darcy, which means the others will be on the lookout for Jason and a black lab. 

Good luck on finding either one. 

It’s time to get out of Gotham for a few days. Titan’s Tower is the obvious choice, but Tim wants something more…rural. 

He glances over at Jason, who’s lying on the floor next to him. His white and black coat is back to normal this morning after a bath in the industrial tub last night when they returned from the botched mission. He seemed to enjoy the bath immensely as he kept licking Tim in the face. 

Jason is certainly embracing being a dog more than Tim did. 

“Hey, Jay,” Tim says to get the dog’s attention. 

His eyes open and he looks up. 

“I think we may want to get the heck out of Dodge for a bit. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if we got some uninvited guests at some point today who want to take you with them when they leave.” 

Jason growls at the words, but stops and then barks twice in agreement. 

“Good. I need to make a quick phone call to Kon and see if we can crash in Kansas until this blows over or you turn human again.” 

There’s no mistaking the groan Jason makes. 

“Come on. Kon is my best friend, the Kent’s are awesome, and you’ll get to run amok for however long this takes. Just don’t dig up Aunt Martha’s vegetable garden and you’ll be fine.” 

Another groan. 

“Plus, Bruce won’t go within a hundred miles of Smallville unless there’s a crisis of epic proportions.” 

Jason snorts, but this time, he whines twice when he’s done. 

Tim picks up his phone and makes a call. 

“Tim!” Kon’s excited voice echoes out through the connection. “You’re up early!” 

“Hey Kon,” Tim replies. “It was a short night.” 

“I bet. I just got done feeding the chickens, so it’s still ass o’clock in the morning here. What’s going on?” Trust Kon to know Tim wouldn’t call this early unless it was important. 

“Are you going to be in Smallville for the next several days?” 

“Yeah, unless something big comes up.” Kon sounds curious. 

“Think I can impose on you and the Kent’s for a week or so? I need to get out of Gotham.” That’s putting it mildly. 

“Yeah, of course!” Kon replies excitedly. “I’ll tell Aunt Martha. Who pissed you off this time?” As Tim’s best friend, he knew exactly what had transpired between him and the rest of his family back in March. 

“Bruce. And Dick again to a lesser extent. I’ll be bringing a dog with too.” Tim stands and puts his computer in standby mode. 

“A dog? Since when do you have a dog?” 

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when we get there.” 

“Do you want me to come pick you up? It’s faster than driving.” 

Tim glances down at Jason and raises an eyebrow, knowing the dog is listening to every word. He whines twice. 

“Yeah, that would be great if you don’t mind.” 

“You got it. Kon Air is on the way.” 

*****

Driving at top speeds through Gotham with the windows down is one thing. Flying through the air with a pair of goggles strapped over his eyes with nothing but an arm keeping him from dropping 10,000 feet to his second death is another. 

Why did he think _flying_ was a good idea again? On that note, why did he agree that going to the Kent farm with Tim and the super-clone was a good idea too? 

This just proves it. Being a dog is messing with his judgment. 

When his feet hit the ground again, Jason staggers a few steps and collapses, trying very hard not to vomit all over the place. Tim, dressed in his Red Robin uniform for the flight, kneels next to him and runs a soothing hand down his back while he shudders. 

“I thought you said he could handle it,” Kon says, dropping the two duffle bags of clothes and gear Tim had packed in the short time they had before leaving Gotham. 

“I thought he could too,” Tim replies, not stopping with the petting. 

The soothing touch, combined with the fresh grass and the solid feeling of the earth, settles Jason’s stomach. He rolls over, then does it again. The sun and the grass feel _good_. 

Tim laughs and pushes back his cowl, messy black hair gleaming in the summer sun. “There we go. I think he’s feeling better now.” 

Jason barks twice in agreement. 

“So now that we’re here, you gonna tell me how you ended up with a bulldog?” Kon asks curiously. They’d been chatting the entire trip here, but Jason was too busy trying not to blow chunks to pay much attention. 

“I will, but not just yet.” Tim picks up the bags. “Is Aunt Martha putting us in the house or in the barn?” 

Barn? Jason gives Tim a quizzical look. Why would a person sleep in the barn? 

“I’m leaving that up to you, Tim.” An old woman comes out onto the patio of the farmhouse, a dishtowel in hand as she dries her hands. “It’s a bit warm in the barn, but it cools down if you leave the windows open at night to let the breeze through. I had Kon clean up his room in there yesterday.” 

“Hello, Aunt Martha!” Tim says cheerfully and runs up the patio steps to give the woman a hug. He looks slightly ludicrous doing so in his uniform, but neither seem to care. “Thanks for letting us stay here on such short notice.” 

“You’re always welcome, Tim, you know that,” Martha Kent chides the young man. “You can decide where you’re sleeping later. We’ve got all day to figure it out. Now come on inside and I’ll make you some breakfast. I doubt you ate before you left.” 

Jason moves to follow after Tim, but there’s a white blur that’s suddenly in his face and he jumps back in surprise. 

It’s Krypto. Superman’s dog. Or rather, Superboy’s dog. 

And those are some big teeth he has as he bares them and growls at Jason. 

“Krypto! Down, boy. Stop it!” Kon orders sharply and yanks at the dog’s collar. “This guy’s not here to make any trouble, so knock it off.” 

There’s spark of _something_ behind the dog’s eyes as he listens to his master and backs down. Jason reassesses the whole idea of Krypto being of average intelligence. Still, he’s not planning on picking any fights with a Kryptonian mutt unless he gets his hands on a Kryptonite bullet. And even then, he’d need hands for the actual gun. 

So focused is Jason on the dog in front of him, he completely misses Tim coming back down the steps and placing a calming hand on his shoulder. He leans into the touch immediately. 

The action seems to satisfy Krypto as he sees who Jason belongs to. 

Martha watches the whole thing from the patio and smiles benignly. “So, breakfast?” 

*****

Tim sits at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee in hand watching Martha make some fresh eggs and toast for him. She’d given him an odd look when he asked for some extra to feed Jason, but didn’t say anything. The bulldog is lying on the floor by his feet, keeping close as Krypto wanders around the kitchen. 

“Story time, Tim,” Kon says as he leans against a counter, cup of coffee in hand as well. Jonathan is out in one of the fields checking on the crops already and won’t be back in until lunch. 

He’s not sure where to start exactly. He and Jason had a rather one-sided conversation about it as he packed for their trip, with Tim on the side of telling them the truth (which for once is funnier than hell) with Jason not seeming to mind either way. 

Truth it is. “Last week, Jason and I ran into a magic user who accidently turned me into a dog…” 

By the end of the story, Tim’s eggs and toast are cold on the plate in front of him while Martha sits enraptured across from him.

Kon, on the other hand, is staring incredulously at the dog who has happily finished his eggs and toast already. “That’s _Jason Todd?_ ” 

Jason glares at him and growls. He moves to the other side of Tim where he can’t be seen as easily. 

“Yes, that’s Jason.” Tim takes a sip of his coffee and finally tackles his eggs. 

“What a story,” Martha says and smiles. She scoots her chair back and looks under the table at Jason. She holds out her hand and Tim can feel him moving as he maneuvers between the chair legs. From the shocked look on Kon’s face, she’s petting him just like she would any other dog. “No dog food for you, but I can’t imagine you can eat everything a person does either, not with that tummy of yours.” 

Jason grunts in agreement. 

“Wow.” Kon shakes his head in amazement. “That’s just…Dude, this is just messed up.”

“You’re telling me.” Tim leans back in his chair. “Thanks to Dick, we now have Bruce on our tails, at least until Jason turns back.” He takes another sip of coffee. “I know he’s doing what he thinks is right, but insulting me like that was uncalled for.”

“I get why you don’t want to tell your family the truth, man, but is bugging out like this going to do any good?” 

Martha chimes in. Tim can just see Jason’s head poking up from where he’s resting it in her lap. “He’s going to focus on looking for Jason and a black lab while you’re gone instead of coming after you boys. It’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.” She grins and pats the bulldog on the head. “By the time he realizes he’s chasing a ghost story, things will be back to normal.” 

This is why Tim’s always loved Martha Kent. She’s very insightful, almost always able to see right into the heart of the matter to tease out the truth. 

“That’s the plan,” he agrees. He finishes his coffee and picks up his empty plate to head over to the sink that’s still full of warm soapy water. 

“Oh, I’ll take care of that, Tim,” Martha tries to stand up, but Tim waves her away and Jason keeps his head in her lap. 

“I can wash my own dishes, Aunt Martha. It’s the least I can do after dropping in unexpectedly and with a dog on top of it.” 

“I’ll say,” Kon mutters, still eyeing Jason warily. It’s like he expects the dog to pull the gun that’s still in his backpack and start threatening everyone. 

“Kon, he’s a dog. About the worst he’ll do to you right now is pee in your boots if you make him mad.” Tim rinses off his plate. “He did that to Dick actually.” 

“What?” he starts laughing. “Oh, crap…crud…whatever, really?” 

Tim launches into one of the many hilarious stories he and Jason now share between their respective adventures in canine form. For this one, there’s no mistaking the doggy grin on his face.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I just did what GoAwayOlivia did to me when she beta'd this section...we both stopped here, me for length reasons (I didn't write this story with actual chapters in mind, just POV changes) and her because she got the clue that something important would be happening next. 
> 
> On that note, there's only three chapters left, so I'll bump up my posting schedule rather than dragging this out another week and a half. I'll post the next chapter this weekend rather than on Monday. :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise an extra update now that we're so close to the end. :)

Jason likes the Kent farm for the most part. It's different and there's plenty for him to explore, even with Krypto keeping an eye on him as he wanders around. The one thing he doesn't like is the _silence_ that overtakes the place at night. It's not that it's completely quiet, but the dull roar he's used to in the city is absent here.   
  
As night falls, he lays down under the swing on the front porch where Tim and Kon are sitting and talking about nothing in particular. They've had dinner (Martha made a plate just for him that Krypto eyed greedily).   
  
He's almost asleep when the conversation moves to more interesting topics.   
  
"I'm glad you're here, Tim, even if the reason why sucks," Kon says.   
  
Tim stretches and the swing creaks. "Something going on you want to talk about?"  
  
"Yeah. It's Cassie."  
  
"It always is," Tim chuckles.   
  
Jason perks up but keeps quiet. He's got a thing for the Wonder-chicks even if in his heart, Wonder Girl will always be Donna Troy.  
  
Kon shoves Tim lightly, jostling the swing some more. "Why the hell are you my best friend again?"  
  
"Because you wouldn't know what to do without me."  
  
"So damn true..." the super clone trails off for a moment before he starts up again. "I want to marry her, Rob."  
  
Tim's breath catches. "Have you guys talked about it?"  
  
"Sorta?" Kon hedges. Jason can just picture the semi-confused look on his face.   
  
"That's better than not at all. What's she think about it?"  
  
"That we're too young."  
  
"Well, you are only seven years old," Tim teases.   
  
"Shut up. That's not what she means and you know it." Kon sounds defensive.   
  
"I know," Tim replies. He's quiet a moment before he continues. "I can see her point though. We're all more or less the same age. But at the same time, look at what we _do_. We know happiness is only temporary. Things happen and you never know if you're going to come out the other side."  
  
"That's why I want to marry her sooner than later," Kon says. He shifts and puts his feet up on the patio railing. "I even bought the ring already."  
  
"Really?" Tim sits up at this. "Wow. Good for you, man."  
  
"Yeah, thanks." Kon rubs the back of his head nervously. "So I guess what I want help with is convincing her. You always think of everything, so I thought talking to you would be like, I dunno, practice or something."  
  
Tim snorts in laughter. "Dude, seriously?"  
  
"Yeah, seriously. Besides, you know damn well you're gonna be the best man and the maid of honor anyways."  
  
"I wear a dress once..."   
  
Jason wants to laugh. Tim wearing a dress sounds hilarious, but with the right dress, accessories, some strategically placed padding, and makeup, he can imagine it. This is a story he wants to hear.  
  
"Okay, dude, first off, you looked better than most of the chicks at that party. Second, I _heard_ you giving makeup tips to Cassie that night when you two were getting ready. I also learned more about sticky-boob tape than I ever wanted to know. Do you know this kind of crap because you're gay or because you're a Bat?"  
  
Tim's breath catches and Jason's eyes widen. The Replacement is _what_?  
  
"Thanks, Kon," Tim replies dryly. "You do remember that we're not exactly alone out here, right?"  
  
"What?" It takes Kon a moment then he leaps to his feet and stares under the swing at Jason. "Oh, shit. I forgot he was there. Tim, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."  
  
Tim sighs the sigh Jason knows means he's pinching the bridge of his nose (the fact he knows this already doesn't bother him). "It's okay. I have a feeling he and I would be having this talk sooner rather than later."   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Let’s just say for now that we’re both curious about something." Tim drops a hand down the side of the swing, his fingers lightly grazing over Jason's back. He shifts so that they're touching his head and he gets an ear rub for the effort.   
  
This explains so much about Tim’s recent behavior. The fact that the baby bird swings for his team makes him very happy. Jason's heard for years how the Replacement and Blondie were a thing back in the day. He's even dated the same Wonder-chick the clone's proposing to! So when did all that change? Or rather, when did he figure it out?

The casual petting doesn't go unnoticed by Kon. "Tim..." he asks leadingly. "Something I need to know about?"  
  
"Not yet," Tim replies, a slight edge to his voice. "Neither one of us have exactly had _words_ available at the same time since this happened."  
  
Jason licks Tim's hand. They're going to have _words_ all right. For the first time, he's confident the Replacement wants in his pants as badly as he does his.   
  
And this, he's definitely okay with.   
  
*****  
That night, Tim decides he's sleeping in Kon's loft out in the barn. He's mildly peeved at his best friend and wants a bit of distance between them, however illusionary it is.   
  
Martha fusses and makes sure he has clean sheets for the pullout bed and a towel for Jason’s drool. Arms loading with bedding, Jonathan follows Tim out to the barn and reminds him how the latch works in case he needs to make a midnight run back to the house to use the bathroom.   
  
"I know you'll probably do your Bat thing and jump out the window, but I don't see Jason doing the same." The old man pets the bulldog lightly on the back.   
  
"Thanks, Uncle Jon," Tim replies with a small smile. "Good night."  
  
"Good night, Tim. Jason." He heads back across the lawn to the house.   
  
Tim leads Jason through the barn and up a flight of wooden stairs built along the back wall. The hayloft is up here, but before that starts, there's a small room that's been partitioned off. Kon had told him the room used to be Clark's for when he wanted some privacy from his parents and now it's his.  
  
Privacy is just what he needs right now. Or as close to it as he'll get with Jason following along after him.   
  
He sits and waits patiently while Tim pulls out the old fold out bed from the sofa and makes it with the fresh sheets he was given. He's not worried about bugs, not with how religiously Martha cleans.   
  
The window is already open and there's a pleasant breeze moving the warm air in the room. It smells mostly of hay, but there's an undercurrent of _barn_ to it as well. As a dog, he'd have been able to pick out each scent and name it. The night is warm but not uncomfortably so. It lacks the constant humidity that's been plaguing Gotham for the last month.   
  
Tim changes for bed, no longer bothered by his audience. He's already washed up in the house and will shower again in the morning after helping with chores.   
  
He turns off the light and flops down on the bed, grabbing the pillow he was given. No more stalling now.   
  
Jason's head rests on the side of the bed but he hasn't jumped up yet. He looks uncertain in the faint light streaming in from the almost full moon.   
  
Tim pats the bed.   
  
The dog jumps up carefully, his footing uncertain on the old mattress. He lies down next to him and Tim adjusts the towel he brought up for his drool (it's bad at night).   
  
"I suppose you want story time, huh? About how I figured it out." He doesn't say what _it_ is. They both know.   
  
A whine and a half is his reply.   
  
"I'm going to take that as a yes. I do need to talk about it more. It's nothing I'm ashamed of either. Kon knows, obviously. So do Bart and Cassie." His closest friends. The ones he's not afraid to talk to. He learned his lesson about keeping things close to his chest and not letting others in (he's not going to lose them again; it almost destroyed him).  
  
Jason grunts.   
  
"And now you do. No one else does. It's just...never come up before. I've never acted on it. After my last relationship fell apart, I took some time and thought about all the reasons why I couldn't connect with my partners. I was always making excuses." He sighs and thinks back to the most important of those relationships, of Stephanie. They never made it past second base but he thought for the longest time it was their age that was holding him back.   
  
It turns out it was something else.   
  
"But in the end, after I thought about it and thought about it, I finally realized what got me off."  
  
Jason nudges him with his cold nose.   
  
Tim chuckles as he rubs behind his ears. "Yeah, it's guys." He didn't say it was a very specific guy, someone whose laugh echoes in his memory most nights when he's seeking release.   
  
Another nudge, this time more insistent. Jason kicks out lightly as well, hitting his hip.   
  
Tim's confused by the actions. "I'm not sure what you mean, Jay."  
  
Jason huffs and stands up on the old mattress, then carefully lies down on top of him. He huffs again, then slides off and resumes his spot next to him.   
  
The statement couldn't be clearer if Jason had spelled it out or was shouting from the rooftop.   
  
Sucking in a shaky breath, Tim nods. "Yeah...it's been you. It's been you for a long time. Even after everything..."  
  
There's no need to say what that everything was (all the attempts on Tim's life by the man lying next to him). It's clear Jason's thinking the same thing as he whines and looks away.   
  
"Hey," Tim reaches out and grabs the dog's big head. "It's okay. I know I'm a bit messed up in the head. And you were too. If you don't feel anything like that for me, I get it. I'm okay with that. I've been dealing with it for longer than I even realized."  
  
It sucks is what it is. But he'll deal with it like he always has and hopefully one day, be able to move on (he'll always have the memory of that carefree laugh).  
  
Jason licks him in the face. He's been doing that a lot.  
  
Tim gazes at him assessingly and remembers the last few nights. Jason would be waiting for him at the bathroom door, grinning with his mouth wide open and tongue lolling out. He'd nose at Tim's groin, pointing out that he knew what he'd been up to. He'd pretend he didn't know what he was talking about. Together, they'd go to bed and fall into dreamless sleep.   
  
"You want this too, don't you?" he asks slowly. "Or, at least to talk about it?"  
  
Two low whines followed by two more is his reply.   
  
Tim closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, this time in pure and utter _relief_. He hasn't made a total jackass out of himself after all. Jason...he's _interested_ , even if only physically. But that's a question best asked when the man can speak again. There are only so many nuances one can convey through whines, barks, and growls and while Tim is good at reading them thanks to his own misadventures on four legs, it's best to wait.   
  
For now, he wraps himself contentedly around the black and white bulldog. Sleep comes quickly for them both.   
  
*****  
The next morning, Jason's equally ecstatic and pissed off.   
  
He's ecstatic because he's got an actual _chance_ with the baby bird. What the hell he did to deserve this, he has no clue, but he's not going to fuck it up (not like everything else).   
  
But he's pissed because, by his count, last night was the fourth night he's been a dog. Tim had turned back on the fourth night.   
  
So why hasn't he?   
  
There's a very important conversation he wants to have, dammit.   
  
After the morning chores are over, Jason trails after Tim as he sits down in the living room of the farmhouse and pulls a tablet out of the messenger bag he brought with. He lies down on the floor, already having been told there's a no dogs on the furniture rule in place (even for humans turned dogs apparently, unless he wants to vacuum the sofa when he shifts back; no thank you!).   
  
"It's Monday," Tim states and glances down at Jason. He starts counting on his fingers. Apparently they're sharing the same thoughts on his condition. "Today's day five."  
  
Jason whines twice. He _knows_.   
  
Tim frowns as he thinks. "Perhaps...perhaps because Lily held on for your entire transformation, you absorbed more magic, which is extending the period for the spell. She barely touched me, right?"  
  
Two more whines. Christ, he's getting sick of this. Being a dog isn't fun anymore.

“You’re not feeling an itch that you can’t scratch, right? Mine started right between my shoulders under the backpack.”

Oh, Jason has an itch all right. Scratching it involves Tim, a bed, and no more goddamned towel (well, that could be put to better uses actually) and him having two hands, two feet, and a mouth where he controls how much he wants to drool.

Instead, he just glares.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Tim sighs and runs a hand over Jason’s head. “If you haven’t changed back by tomorrow morning, I’ll call Zatara. Sound fair?”

Two low woofs.

Jason settles in for a good pouting session while Tim does whatever he does with that tablet of his. Probably homework. He’d mentioned he was taking an online class during the summer.

The peaceful quiet is interrupted by Tim’s phone going off. Jason raises his head as the ring tone sounds rather ominous, but it’s not the Imperial March Tim had said is Bruce’s. There’s only one other person he can think of to warrant such a tone and he waits to see if he’s right.

“Hello, Damian. You’re up early.”

Bingo.

Jason can hear the brat’s reply as clear as day. “Where are you, Drake?” the teenager snaps.

“Why should I tell you? It defeats the whole purpose of a strategic escape,” Tim replies dryly.

Sitting up, Jason rests his head on Tim’s knee. He’s curious to see how his Replacement wrangles the demon.

“So you admit to running away. I always knew you were a coward.”

“Who said anything about running away? I have something to protect and Gotham’s not the best place to do it.” Tim runs a hand over Jason’s head and gives him a small smile.

“Those dogs should not be running alongside the likes of you or Todd. Father told us you brought a bulldog to the docks the other night. Well played, Drake, your stupidity is finally apparent for others to see.” Jason can just _see_ the sneer on the little bat’s face.

Note to self, punch the little ass in the face next time he sees him.

Tim grins. “Did he tell you what else happened?”

Damian seems to pick up on Tim’s amusement. “What?” he asks warily.

The older bird does something on his tablet. “Check your email.”

During the ensuing silence, Tim turns his tablet around to show Jason the video of him knocking Batman on his ass. He snorts, trying to contain his laughter. That recording does _not_ get old.

The demon squawks in disbelief. “This is obviously a falsehood. Why would Father omit telling us such a thing?”

“Because it’s embarrassing? Look Damian, I’m not giving up my dog. Jason’s not giving up his. We’re trying to make sure they’re well cared for, but these aren’t average dogs. They’re so extremely intelligent I can’t even begin to describe it. So bug off while Jason and I deal with this.”

“Drake, when I find you…”

“If you had half a brain you’d know where I am. You don’t need to trace this call (of which, good luck with that). Hell, I’m sure Bruce knows by now too. And he won’t come near this place.”

“Drake! You…!” Damian’s voice trails off as the sound of a scuffle come over the line. Jason’s pretty certain that’s Dickieboy he’s hearing.

“Tim!” a slightly out of breath Dick says.

Called it.

Tim rubs his forehead and rolls his eyes. “Dick.”

“Come home, Tim. Let’s work this out.”

“I’ll be back soon enough.”

“Alfred’s already spoken to Bruce about it. I heard everything and told him yesterday.”

Really now? Jason hadn’t smelled Dick at all, but then again, he’d been a bit distracted by the big bad bat in front of him.

“That’s all well and good, Dick, but what I want from Bruce is an apology or at least an acknowledgement that he was being an ass since we both know the words “I’m sorry” aren’t in his vocabulary,” Tim snaps. “I’ve got better things to do right now. I’ll talk to you later.”

He hangs up and glares at his phone.

Jason nudges him with his nose. He doesn’t need scent to tell him the Replacement is beyond irritated.

Tim takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Setting down the phone, he reaches out and rubs behind Jason’s black ear. “Well, since I can’t go out and hit something, want to go for a run?”

Hell yes.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters to go!


	9. Chapter 9

The fifth day rolls into the sixth. When they wake up in the loft, Jason is still a dog. Tim is pretty certain he'd have woken up if the change occurred in the middle of the night. It's not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world.   
  
Jason is noticeably grouchy as he makes the promised call to Zatara. The magician doesn't appreciate being woken up early and repeats the same thing he said to Jason last week. 

_“He’ll turn back to normal on his own. It should be no more than a week.”_

Before he hangs up, Tim hears Lily in the background. "Hi, Red Robin!" she says brightly.   
  
He wonders how that's going. Zatara is not the most patient person in the world and has an ego the size of California. Zatanna is probably involved already too.  
  
Jason sulks at the news and hides in the kitchen where Martha spoils him.   
  
After lunch, Kon suggests a trip to the crater, which piques the bulldog’s interest. The look he gives Tim at the sight of Kon and Krypto playing their version of fetch says it all.   
  
"They're Kryptonian, what did you expect?" Tim says rhetorically as his best friend throws a massive log for his flying white dog.  
  
They jog around the crater for something to do. Jason chases and almost catches a rabbit before he realizes what he's doing and stops abruptly. There's an alarmed look in his eyes that Tim understands.   
  
Canine instincts warring with human sensibilities is hard to balance.   
  
That night, Jason paces around the loft for a while before jumping up on the bed. He sleeps fitfully, twitching as he dreams. Tim rolls over and rests a hand on his side, lightly running it back and forth as the dog finally settles down.  
  
The morning of the seventh day dawns and Jason is still a bulldog. The look of sheer disgust he gives Tim as they exit the barn says it all.   
  
Martha sneaks him some extra sausage at breakfast while Tim pretends not to notice. The heavy country breakfasts are not what he's used to but after helping Kon and Jonathan with chores for the last couple days, he gets why they're needed.   
  
Jason hides for most of the morning and although he comes out for lunch, he spends it pacing around the kitchen. His anxiety is plain to see.   
  
Kon and Tim make quick work of the dishes before they head outside to weed the vegetable garden. But almost immediately after following them outside, Jason starts rolling in the grass, twisting and turning in a way that Tim recognizes well.   
  
"Is he...?" Kon asks from the patio where he's leaning on the rail watching.   
  
"I think so," he replies.  
  
"Good thing he's not wearing the backpack then."  
  
Tim silently agrees. Since their arrival to the Kent farm, Jason's only worn it when they've gone for a run and for their trip to the crater yesterday.   
  
The bulldog finally stops and walks slowly to Tim's side. He's covered in grass clippings.   
  
Kneeling next to him, he starts rubbing at the hard to reach spot between Jason's shoulder blades. That was where it had been worst for him and from the way Jason leans into the motion, it's the same for him.   
  
"Got an itch you can't quite scratch?"  
  
Kon tries hard not to laugh at Tim's phrasing.  
  
"That's what it feels like!" he protests, but laughs at himself too.   
  
"How long does it last?"  
  
"I think it took me about three hours before the spell finally broke."  
  
Jason groans and flops to the ground in what can only be described as melodramatically.   
  
Tim laughs some more and decides to be the asshole for once. Jason gave him enough crap as a dog, he deserves it. "Considering how long he’s been a dog though, it could take longer. Makes sense that the longer you're in the other form, the longer it takes to switch back."  
  
Kon doesn't even try to hide the laugh anymore as Jason snarls and goes back to rolling around in the yard.   
  
*****

The itch is _terrible_. The Replacement hadn't been kidding when he described it as an itch that couldn't be scratched. Definitely not the fun kind of itch either.  
  
Three hours in, Jason also decides that Tim is the biggest bastard in the world. He had to go and say it could be even _longer_ than the three hours it took him.   
  
Fucker.   
  
Another thing Jason decides on too is that he doesn't want to be in Kansas anymore. He wants to be _home_ , in Gotham, holed up in a place where he feels safe from the larger world (which is really counterintuitive since he's smack in the middle of nowhere with Superboy, his mutt, and Red Robin, all of whom are more than capable of keeping his ass safe while he changes back).   
  
It has to be instinct.   
  
He tries to ignore it but as the afternoon wears on, he finally goes up to the loft and drags Tim's duffle bag down the stairs and across the yard. He drops it at the edge of the garden where Tim and the clone are still weeding and barks loudly.   
  
Tim looks confused as he spots the mostly empty bag. "Do you need your backpack? It's on the patio."  
  
One bark.   
  
It's obvious he's not getting it (some detective you are, Timmers), so Jason runs back to the barn, grabs the shorts Tim sleeps in, and runs back to the garden. He drops them in the bag and waits.   
  
It's the clone who speaks up first. "Do you want to go home?" he asks.   
  
Finally. Two barks.   
  
"Are you sure?" Tim asks as he kneels in the dirt at the edge of the well-tended garden. He's gotten some sun over the last few days on the farm. "Kon can fly us home but you could change mid-flight. Do you want to risk that?"  
  
He's been debating that very question with himself for the last hour and barks twice again. Instinct be damned, he wants to go _home_. And right now, home is Tim's apartment (home is where the heart is and Jason's pretty sure he's not going to be leaving the baby bird's bedroom anytime soon, not unless a certain conversation goes south fast).  
  
"Okay," Tim agrees and stands. "I'll get us packed up."  
  
While Tim goes to the barn, Jason follows the clone into the house where he tells Martha about the change in plans.   
  
"Oh, you poor boy," Martha says and stoops down to give Jason's head a good rub. "I'll make up a basket for you to take home. I'm sure you'll be hungry afterwards. When you're back to normal, Jason, please come back to visit. You've always been welcome here."  
  
Jason has a single memory of visiting the Kent farm when he was still Robin. While Bruce and Clark discussed something outside, he'd sat at the kitchen table and stuffed himself stupid on apple pie and homemade ice cream that was even better than Alfred's. When he said so to Martha, she'd smiled and run a hand through his messy black hair and told him the secret was fresh milk.   
  
He barks twice.   
  
The flight home is _miserable_ as he can't scratch himself while the clone carries him. Krypto had followed for a while, whining all the way. He'd been trailing Jason all afternoon, his own scent anxious as he picks up on Jason's sheer misery. Kon had finally sent him home.   
  
It's dark by the time they land on the roof of Tim's renovated theater apartment.   
  
"Thanks, Kon," Tim says as he hops off his friend's back. He'd put his uniform on again for the trip as a pair of superheroes flying through the air with a dog apparently draws less attention. "For everything." He claps the man on the shoulder.   
  
"Not a problem, Rob. It was good seeing you outside the cowl for a change."   
  
Jason wanders off as the two friends say their goodbyes. His anxiety has greatly lessened now that he's back in Gotham. He takes what he hopes is his last piss as a dog and noses around the roof. Over by the roof entrance, he catches a familiar scent.   
  
Dick's been here. Recently. Very recently. Jason's head snaps up and he starts growling low in his throat.   
  
"What is it?" Tim asks as he walks up, shouldering both duffle bags.   
  
Jason makes a show of scenting around.   
  
"Crap. Is it Dick?" He asks the most obvious choice.  
  
Two growls.   
  
"Fresh?"  
  
Two more growls.   
  
"Son of a bitch," Tim swears. "Let's get inside. I'll put the house in lockdown."  
  
They enter through the roof hatch and Tim immediately starts entering something on his phone. Jason prowls through the apartment searching for any other unwelcome scents. He finds them, but they're older. There's Dick's again and a second one mingled with his. If he had to guess, it's probably Damian's.   
  
Tim joins him in the kitchen where he unpacks the food Martha had made for them.   
  
"The security feeds show Dick and Damian were here together two days ago. My roof camera caught Dick not even twenty minutes ago but he didn't come inside. Talk about small favors."  
  
Jason relaxes even more at the news but now that he doesn't have anything to focus on, the itch makes itself known again. Hey, fucker, I'm baaack is what the little voice in his head says.   
  
He starts pacing.   
  
*****

Tim watches Jason pace throughout the evening. He's getting concerned and tries not to show it. It's been almost seven hours now since the dog made it known what he's going through. Tim had a hard enough time with his change, he can't imagine what he'd have been like seven hours in.   
  
He stares contemplatively at the pacing bulldog when he gets an idea.   
  
"Hey, Jason," he says to get his attention. "Don't take this the wrong way, but do you want to take a shower? I've got a handheld attachment that’s almost as strong as my regular shower head."   
  
Jason had waxed poetic over how much he loves Tim's shower. The pressure is so hard it stings like needles with the setting he leaves it on most of the time. Perhaps the bombardment of water will help with the itch.   
  
The dog's eyes widen comically and he runs up the stairs, stumbling once in his mad dash to the top. As Tim follows, he hears excited barking coming from his room.   
  
He hovers while Tim makes the adjustments and turns on the water.   
  
"Hot or cold?"  
  
Jason doesn't seem to care either way as he darts in, nails clicking on the tile.   
  
"Lukewarm it is."  
  
Tim makes himself comfortable outside the shower and he holds up the handheld nozzle, turning it on. Jason sits with his back to him and Tim runs the spray up and down his coat.   
  
After awhile, Jason turns around and Tim runs the spray over his chest, on top of his head, and down his sides.   
  
"Face?" he asks uncertain if the dog would want water in his ears.   
  
One bark.   
  
Tim repeats the movements and by the third time around, he catches sight of something that has him blushing furiously.   
  
Cue inappropriate boner. Well, if he had any doubt over whether Jason thinks this feels good, they're completely disbursed now.   
  
The bulldog snorts like he thinks Tim's being ridiculous and turns around.   
  
He suddenly remembers something Jason said to him while he was on four legs. "Last chance to lick your balls," he teases.   
  
Jason looks over his shoulder and _grins_. He shifts, not breaking eye contact with Tim, as he bends over.   
  
Nope. Not happening. He sprays Jason in the face. "Plenty of time for that later."  
  
Later needs to get here faster.

The shower seems to help as Jason yawns widely when he gets out. Tim towels him off and helps him up onto the bed. He takes a quick shower of his own (no shenanigans tonight, he’s too distracted) and falls into a light doze next to the exhausted Jason. It soon becomes a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, Tim stirs as he hears Jason get up. Several minutes pass before he comes back to bed, slipping under the sheet, and spooning him from behind. A hand is gently placed on his hip as he settles back in.

“Did you drink some water?” Tim mumbles as he cuddles into the broad chest behind him. It’s warm, but welcomingly so.

“Yeah, I did,” Jason rasps, his voice not yet fully returned.

“It helps.”

“Whatever you say, baby bird.”

Tim falls back to sleep, content with the knowledge that Jason is human again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we all know what's coming next. ;)
> 
> I'll post the last chapter Wednesday or Thursday.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for... :D

The morning of the eighth day, Jason wakes slowly. The burn Tim said heralded the return to normal had overtaken him in his sleep, waking him up only at the end. He tried to keep as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake the younger man sleeping beside him. 

He lay there for a time, trying to catch his breath as the pain receded. Deciding he needed to piss something fierce, he got up and headed to the bathroom. Jason thought he was quiet enough as he headed back to bed, but Tim surprised him, even though he appeared to still be mostly asleep. 

Tim. 

Jason stares down at the young man in his arms. They hadn’t moved that much in the night, though Tim had somehow managed to take the bed sheet for himself and leave him with nothing. Not that he minds, he runs warm. Tim doesn’t seem to mind either as his back is still pressed firmly against his chest. 

He looks so peaceful in his sleep, the faint lines on his forehead smoothed out in slumber. There is so much he wants to say to his Replacement, so much he wants to apologize for. Now that he has the words to do it though, he chokes. 

Yeah, the baby bird has his share of problems, but he doesn’t need Jason’s truckload of issues on top of them. Better to leave now before whatever this is between them goes any further (before he has the chance to screw it up). Tim deserves nothing but the best and that sure as hell isn’t him. 

Jason sighs and closes his eyes for a moment, wishing that he’d never changed back. Things were so much simpler on four legs (and here he spent the last few days thinking being a dog wasn’t fun anymore; being human again drives it home how easy the last week really was). 

Decision made, he tries to disentangle himself from Tim without waking him. Before he can move his arm from where it’s wrapped around the other man’s waist, Tim grabs a hold of it with a firm grip. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks, eyes still mostly closed, but there’s a thin slit of blue peering up at him. 

“How long have you been awake?” Jason tries to deflect, but Tim doesn’t let him and holds onto his arm even tighter. 

“I asked you first.” 

He sighs again. “I was gonna leave before this got strange.” 

Pale blue eyes open fully. “We passed _strange_ already. Flew right past _what the hell_ too. Pretty sure we’re making things up as we go now.” 

Tim keeps saying _we_. Jason settles back down and rests his chin on Tim’s shoulder, his hair tickling him until he noses it aside. “That sounds like something I’d say.” 

“I have my moments.” 

“I just…” Jason tries to figure out how to put everything racing through his mind into words. He’s good with words, always has been, but there’s a little thing called _emotions_ that screw him up every time. “You could do so much better than me. About all I’m good for is a one-night stand and I’m pretty sure you’re not lookin’ for that.” 

Tim shifts at that, not letting go of Jason’s arm as he rolls over to face him. They’re inches apart on the shared pillow. “I’m not,” he agrees, blue eyes boring into his with laser focus Jason didn’t think he was capable of before his morning coffee. “But it sounds like you want to be _more_ than the guy people go to for that one night.” 

Jason’s mouth snaps shut. What the Replacement is saying is not untrue, not in the slightest. He never lets himself get that close to the people he sleeps with (not that it’s often that he has sex; he’s much better acquainted with his hand these days). The scars that map the landscape of his body tend to be a turnoff to most. He can’t open up about where he got them, about where the newest one came from, or how he got bruised up this time. 

But Tim has the same set of battle scars he does, both inside and out. He may not have actually died for Bruce’s mission, but he bears his own emotional traumas. In his own way, he’s broken too. 

He smirks, knowing there’s a wry cast to his lips that Tim with his own dry sense of humor will be able to read in an instant. “I want to be. But that doesn’t mean I get what I want.” 

Tim responds with the same sardonic smirk that long ago started making Jason feel a little weak in the knees whenever he sees it (sees it directed at _him_ ). “We both want the same thing. You’re the only one holding us back.” 

Everything he’s said to the baby bird flashes across his mind, everything he’s _done_ , everything that’s led them here to this moment. He _knows_ the man in his arms wants him, has wanted him in some way since before they ever met (when Tim was still a tiny little stalker and he was parading around Gotham in a pair of equally tiny shorts). 

And him? Once he got over the urge to kill Tim on sight (goddamn Pit, goddamn that psycho bitch the demon calls a mother), he learned his Replacement wasn’t half bad. Working together gave him a thrill, but it was nothing compared to the one he got when they fought. When Tim _yelled_ at him. And yeah, there’s something to analyze later because one doesn’t exactly think of Jason Todd and submissive in the same sentence. 

Both of them are alone by choice. A little girl’s magic brought them together, two lonely souls who secretly desire to be accepted by the other (and apparently have been getting off to dreams of the other person for a long time). 

Jason’s been taking chances all his life. What’s one more? 

“I am, aren’t I?” He drags his arm up from Tim’s loosened grip, running his hand up his side to gently cup his face. His thumb rubs lightly over the other man’s lips. “I should probably stop doing that.” 

“You should,” Tim agrees, his breath warm against Jason’s thumb. “So what happens now?” 

“Whatever we want,” Jason whispers. He can feel his pulse racing beneath his skin, his heartbeat loud in his ears. 

Tim reaches out to run a long fingered hand through his messy hair, lingering at the white patch as he picks up on the different texture there. “Whatever we want, huh?” he repeats. 

“Yeah,” Jason replies with a crooked smile. 

“I’ve wanted this for years,” he says and closes the distance between them, lips catching his in a kiss. He’s more aggressive than Jason expects, more skilled too as he slowly teases him into opening up. Tim runs his hand down the side of Jason’s face, tracing the line of his stubbled jaw before disappearing back up into his hair, gripping it firmly in a way he can’t help but close his eyes and _moan_ at. 

Thanks to a few more one-sided (but highly informative) midnight conversations at the Kent farm, he knows this is about the extent of where his Replacement’s experience lies, so he soon takes control and leads him further down the path. He traces his free hand up and down the man’s side, running his fingers over warm skin. 

Tim gasps, breaking the kiss as he hits a ticklish spot, and chuckles at Jason’s pleased expression. “Do that again and I’ll kick you,” he threatens, but there’s no heat in it. Well, not the heat that tells Jason he has anything to worry about in terms of bodily harm. 

“That so?” Jason runs his hand back down, dipping inward as he does. There’s another gasp, but this time, Tim’s eyes almost roll up into his head as he strokes the skin over well-defined abdominals, his fingers tracing his belly button and finding a faint dusting of hair that leads down under the sheet that’s barely hanging on to Tim’s hips. 

“Do that again,” the Replacement orders, his breath catching at the end. 

He runs his hand over Tim’s belly again, pressing harder as he does. Tim gasps again, a sharp intake of air as his body jerks under Jason’s hand. 

“Someone likes to be petted,” he teases, mouthing along the slender neck in front of him, slowly making his way to the crook where he bites down suddenly, not too hard, but enough to be _felt_. 

Tim shouts and shudders under his hands. “Jason…” he moans. 

The sound of his name coming from Tim’s mouth, this time without the sound of the shower to mask it, is music to his ears. He chuckles darkly at a sudden thought. It’s _magical_. 

His hand starts tracing it’s way down the trail of hair, fingers teasing along the edge of the sheet. Jason knows Tim sleeps in loose shorts, but given how low said sheet is over his hips and he still hasn’t seen them, those shorts must have slipped some in the night. 

Giving in to his own need to move, he thrusts against the fabric, Tim’s leg still trapped beneath. 

Tim growls low in his throat. Jason does it again. The soft cotton against his erection feels good, but there’s something beneath it he’d rather be rutting against. 

While Tim’s distracted, he slips his hand under the sheet, his fingers brushing wiry hair almost instantly. 

There are no shorts. How did he miss this before when he was actually under the sheet? Jason can’t help the incredulous look he gives Tim, who’s grinning broadly at him. “You’re just full of surprises today, aren’t you?” he asks. 

“I got warm last night,” Tim tries to deflect this time. 

“Uh-huh,” Jason leans in to kiss the tip of Tim’s nose. “You can tell the truth. You were hoping to get lucky.” 

“You’re not the only one who can be shameless sometimes.” 

“In that case…” he trails off as he rips back the sheet. 

The next several minutes are lost in a haze as Jason explores the warm (and willing, oh God, so willing) body beneath him. Tim responds to each touch as he works him to higher and higher peaks, exploring his own roadmap of scars. Working his way down Tim’s chest, he takes a moment to pay some particular attention to the younger man’s stomach, before he reaches his real prize. 

He grasps Tim’s hips, running his thumbs over the indent of his thighs, and licks a stripe up from the base of Tim’s cock all the way to the tip, mouthing at the sensitive skin at the head before taking it into his mouth. 

“Jason,” Tim moans, head tossed back into his pillows, his chest heaving as he tries to _breathe_ through the new sensation. It catches in his chest and Jason can _feel_ the tightening of his body as he reaches that final peak. He’s been teased long enough, this first time is going to be quick (round two will last longer, he'll make sure of it). 

“Jason” Tim says his name again, this time in warning. 

He ignores it and sucks _hard_ , hollowing out his cheeks as he does. 

Tim shudders one last time and comes, a rush of warm fluid filling Jason’s mouth. He swallows easily and tongues at the still quivering length as he pulls off and rests his chin on Tim’s hip, watching the aftershocks. 

It takes a few moments for Tim to catch his breath. “Wow.” 

Jason smirks and plants a kiss on the warm skin in front of him. “You’re welcome.” It’s been awhile since he’s gone down on anyone, but he’s pleased to know he hasn’t lost his touch. 

Sitting up on his elbows, Tim levels an even gaze on Jason. “Want to let me up so I can try and return the favor?” 

He wants it, oh Christ in heaven does he want it. But the baby bird’s not quite ready for his thick cock (though he’s been getting off to the mental image of Tim’s lips wrapped around it for awhile now). “You don’t have to,” Jason tries to say but Tim has none of it, giving him a wicked look of his own. 

“Of course I do,” he says, grinning widely. “It’s not like you can lick your own balls anymore.” 

*****

Tim leans against the counter in his kitchen, waiting for his morning pot of coffee to finish brewing. There’s hot water waiting in the microwave (and a note in his phone to go and buy an actual teakettle) for Jason and whatever tea he feels like this morning. He’d brought over a few different kinds his second day here and hadn’t taken them home the night after their first encounter with Dick. 

He idly runs a hand over his neck, rubbing at the tender spot where Jason had bit him. There’s a mark there, he can feel it. That’s all right, he’d returned the favor later in the shower during their second round (his shower fantasy of Jason paled in comparison to reality; he could still feel his large fingers filling him up and pressing on the magical spot that made him see stars). He returned the favor after learning that Jason’s just as comfortable on the bottom as he is on top. He picks up his phone again and adds condoms to his shopping list. They’ll get there sooner or later (sooner he hopes). 

For the first time in what feels like forever, Tim is content. Yes, he and Jason need to have a better talk about things but that’s for later. Right now, all he wants is his coffee, some breakfast, and round three. 

The coffeepot burbles to a stop and for the next couple minutes, he busies himself with preparing his coffee the way he feels like this morning. Leaning against the counter again, Tim inhales the warm scent and takes a small sip of the hot liquid. 

From the countertop next to him, his phone beeps a warning tone. Setting the mug down, Tim picks it up and swipes the screen, opening his security alarm app. Down in his workroom, a familiar car is pulling up next to the Redbird. He frowns as Dick, Damian, Stephanie, and _Cass_ get out. Stephanie is carrying a container he knows she only uses for bakery. 

So much for his lockdown protocols. Dick must have spotted them while Kon was flying them back and called Barbara to help him get in. He’ll need to have a word with her about that. 

This is not what he wants to deal with today. Still, the sooner he can find out what they’re here for, the sooner they can leave (though he wouldn’t mind if Cass stays for longer; he hasn’t seen her for awhile). He’s pretty sure it’s dog related as he catches sight of his red collar sitting on the counter. Jason’s is still upstairs in the bathroom where he’d taken it off last night while toweling him off after his shower. 

Speaking of shower…Tim glances down at the towel wrapped around his waist; it’s the only thing he’s wearing. 

The peanut gallery will have to deal. 

He’s curious to see if Jason stays upstairs while they’re here. He’d wanted to spend some extra time under the warm spray, his body still aching from the shift back last night. 

Tim taps the phone again, turning on the audio for his video feeds to see if he can learn why everyone’s here (Steph’s bakery is probably a bribe). Picking up his mug again, he listens and waits. 

“Are you sure he’s home, Dick?” Steph asks as they exit the garage into Tim’s main workroom. 

“Positive. I saw Kon carrying him and Spock back into Gotham last night.” 

Even through the small screen on his phone, Tim can see the disgusted look on Damian’s face. “I cannot believe he flew that poor dog halfway across the country in such a manner. I don’t care how _special_ he and Todd claim those dogs are, that’s just irresponsible. And you call Drake the _smart one_.” 

Dick doesn’t reply, so Tim interprets it to mean he’s heard this rant already. Cass ignores them all as she marches up the stairs. 

It’s not long before the hidden door opens and his family comes tumbling out. 

“Now be quiet, it’s supposed to be a surprise!” Dick whispers loudly. 

Stephanie giggles in excitement while Cass grins. Tim can tell Damian is rolling his eyes. He turns off the security feed on his phone and takes another sip of coffee. 

Hard to believe these guys rank as some of the greatest heroes in the world. 

“Do you think he’s awake?” Steph asks as she heads towards the kitchen. 

“It’s not even noon yet,” Damian replies, not even bothering to speak quietly. 

“True,” Stephanie replies, but trails off as she stops abruptly in the entrance of the kitchen, spotting Tim. 

He takes another sip of his coffee and gives her a level look. “What are you doing here?” 

“Uh, hi!” the blonde says brightly, still holding her Tupperware. Cass sneaks around her and approaches Tim, arms open wide. 

Setting down his mug and standing straight, he opens his arms in response. Cass always gives the best hugs. 

“How have you been?” she asks softly. 

“I’m good,” he replies, breathing in the scent of her shampoo (something minty and herbal). “Better than I have been in a while.” 

“I see that. You’re very relaxed.” Cass lets go and pokes at the mark on his neck. “That is not a normal bruise.” 

Tim grins, but doesn’t say anything (two orgasms in one morning with the man who’s been the subject of his earliest sexual fantasies will do that to a person). He returns his attention to Stephanie, who’s put the container on the counter. “I repeat, what are you doing here?” he asks again. 

Dick enters the room with a big grin on his face, Damian trailing along behind, looking around surreptitiously for a black and white dog. Tim silently wishes the teenager luck with that. 

“Welcome home, Tim! You made it back in time!” 

“In time for what?” 

The big grin dims slightly before it’s replaced by a more mischievous look. “Do you even know what day it is?” the first Robin asks. 

Tim narrows his eyes. “It’s Thursday.” 

Stephanie laughs and shakes her head. “You’ve done it again, Nerd Wonder.” 

“Done what?” he asks quizzically. 

“Look at the date,” she replies. 

Cass hands him his phone. 

He hits a button, showing the date and time on his lock screen. 

_July 19._

“I did it again,” Tim agrees with a rueful shake of his head. He usually remembers his birthday, but in his defense, the last ten days have been absolutely insane. 

“Happy birthday, little brother! You’re no longer a teenager!” Dick wraps him in one of his famous (infamous) octo-hugs. “Now go get some clothes on, we got cupcakes to light up and lunch plans for all of us.” 

From over Dick’s shoulder, he spots Jason coming down the stairs. He’s carrying his dog collar and has a look on his face that promises chaos. 

“All of us?” Tim repeats as he watches Jason approach. This is going to be  _fun._

“Yeah!” Dick says enthusiastically. 

Jason leans against the wall in the entrance to the kitchen and crosses his arms loosely over his bare chest. He’s put on a pair of gym shorts, but that’s all. No one other than Tim and Cass have seen him yet, but Cass hasn’t given any indication he’s there. “Would that be reservations for five or for six, Dickiebird?” he asks sarcastically. 

Dick lets go of Tim and whirls around, while Damian and Stephanie gape in surprise at Jason’s sudden appearance. 

“Little wing! What’re you doing here?” 

“Yes, Todd, what are you doing here?” Damian snaps, holding up the collar he found on the counter. “Where are Darcy and Spock?” 

“Gone on to bigger and better things,” Jason snarks back, holding up a hand and spinning Spock’s collar on one finger. 

“What does that mean?” Damian all but shouts. “I knew you and Drake were incompetent fools who couldn’t be trusted with the welfare of an animal, let alone yourselves…” he rants, but no one is paying attention to him. All eyes are on Jason. 

Stephanie is the one who puts two and two together first. She whips her head back to Tim and gives him an intense once over. Cass pokes again at his neck, pointing out the mark in case she’s missed it. 

There’s a matching one on Jason’s neck. Tim should know as he took a great amount of pride in placing it there earlier while they were in the shower. 

He waits for it. 

“Oh my god, are you two _sleeping together?_ ” 

Dick yelps in surprise, his gaze wild as he takes in the two young men he considers his little brothers. Damian’s jaw drops open in shock. 

Tim rolls his eyes and picks up his coffee mug again. He takes another sip and walks around everyone to the counter to open his container of cupcakes. They’re homemade, which means more to him than any fancy store-bought ones. Picking one up, he peels off the wrapper. 

“Tim?” Stephanie asks, trying to get his attention. 

He picks up another cupcake and walks over to Jason, handing it to him. “Apparently I forgot it’s my birthday today. I’m 20,” he says, ignoring the noise behind him. 

Jason grins as he looks down at the shorter man. He sets the collar on the counter and starts unwrapping the cupcake. “You have a habit of doing that from the sound of it.” 

“Only once, but Steph never lets me forget it,” Tim replies, taking a bite of the cupcake he’s still holding. “In my defense, I was a bit _distracted_ this morning.” The simple vanilla cake is not too sweet, and Steph’s used the funfetti frosting she knows he secretly loves. 

“Tim!” Dick shouts this time, not wanting to be ignored any longer. “What’s going on? You and Jason are…” he trails off, not able to finish the sentence. 

Jason shoots a glare at the older man while Tim laughs. He gives Jason a querying look and he nods in reply. No point in hiding anymore, though he does wish they’d been able to have some more privacy before his home was invaded. Still, if they can survive this, then chances are pretty good they’ll be able to survive anything. 

Tim finishes his cupcake and drains his coffee mug before turning his attention back to their captivated audience. Jason ignores them in favor of his cupcake, but Tim can feel his attention is still in him. It's reassuring knowing that he's at his side, even if it's on two legs instead of four. 

“It all started about ten days ago when I got turned into a dog…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END. 
> 
> This story has been so much freaking fun to write and from all the wonderful comments I've received, it sounds like it's been just as much fun to read. As always, a huge thanks to GoAwayOlivia for her beta work, even when I end up re-writing or adding over a 1000 words to a story after she's done editing it. This was a welcome break from Milestones, which I desperately needed. I can't help but wonder what cracked out take on a trope I come up with next!
> 
> This story also inspired some art from toixx! [Canine Partners](http://toixx.tumblr.com/post/162475657716/canine-partners-ps-the-name-of-their)


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